Delinquent Dragon Emperor
by Melkor's Mercy
Summary: What if Issei had manifested his sacred gear earlier in life? What if he and Ddraig became friends with Great Red before meeting Raynare? Trained in secret from a young age in preparation for his rival, Issei is shocked when it turns out to be a beautiful silver-haired girl who just transferred to Kuoh Academy with her blue-haired friend. Badass Issei x Harem x Fem Vali x Tiamat
1. Chapter 1

**The Delinquent Dragon Emperor**

Full Summary: 

What if Issei had manifested his sacred gear earlier in life? What if he and Ddraig became friends with Great Red before meeting Raynare? Trained from a young age to be a badass delinquent and the wingman of Great Red, Issei kept his power a secret in anticipation for the day he would finally fight the white dragon emperor. Things don't go quite as expected however, when his infamous rival turns out to be a beautiful silver-haired foreign girl who just transferred to Kuoh Academy with her pale blue-haired friend. How will the devils and angels deal with three extremely powerful dragons going to the same high school?

Super-Strong, delinquent, and less-perverted Issei x Harem x Fem Vali x Tiamat

Harem includes: All of the canon harem girls, Raynare, Ravel, Ophis, Tiamat, Female Vali, etc. If you have your heart set on someone else PM me or mention it in a review.

 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

A ten-year-old boy with golden brown eyes and spiky brown hair stood in his bathroom crying out in pain. His entire body felt like it was on fire as an unbearable itching pain spread over him. He grimaced in agony as he hunched over the sink coughing up what felt like dirt.

From his throat several embers and clumps of ash erupted over the mirror and the counter as smoke began to come from his mouth. He coughed furiously as he looked back up in the mirror. His eyes then glowed green as he coughed up more embers.

The boy looked at himself painfully, "What's happening to me?!"

From his arm a crimson red gauntlet then manifested out of glowing red energy. From the back of his hand he could now see a green orb glowing within. It flashed as a voice filled his head, _**"You have awakened me at last my new host."**_

"W-what?! Who said that?! Where are you?!" Issei panicked as he looked around the room. The voice he heard sounded deep and echoic as if it were coming from inside his mind. Whatever created it was definitely not human.

" _ **I am sealed within you boy. I am within the Longinus Boosted Gear that is bound to your soul. My name is Ddraig and I am the Red Dragon Emperor,"**_ the voice answered powerfully.

"Longina what?! Boosted Gear?! Why does my body feel like it's on fire?!" Issei demanded as he felt his left arm's new red gauntlet.

" _ **You are the reincarnation of my power, child. The sensations you are feeling are the result of being the host of a heavenly dragon,"**_ Ddraig explained.

"Heavenly dragon?! You're a dragon?! Dragons aren't real! What the heck is this thing on my arm?!" Issei shot back as a crimson glow coated his arm.

" _ **I will explain shortly, but first you must gain control of your power! Calm your emotions and still your breathing! Focus on returning to your normal self in your mind and your magic shall recede back within you."**_ The dragon commanded.

Desperate to get rid of the horrible pain, Issei did his best to focus on returning to normal and attempted to calm down. Much to his surprise, imagining it in his mind actually worked. Before long, the red gauntlet over his arm finally dissipated and his eyes were now back to their natural color. Shortly afterward, the burning sensation finally stopped.

Now in a more stable condition, Issei glanced back into the mirror relieved. Despite his gauntlet being gone, a green circle still appeared on the back of his left hand.

The voice of Ddraig spoke to him in a calm tone, _**"Good, you managed that better than I expected. Most hosts end up destroying a lot more before they figure out how our power works. It is based on your will."**_

Issei looked down at the glowing green circle on his hand incredulously, "I'm…your host? What does that mean? You're inside of me? Why did you pick me?! I'm just a kid! What's a dragon doing inside of me?"

" _ **Calm yourself, boy. We dragons do not choose our vessels. I am bound to the sacred gear, and it manifests in a human host after the previous one dies. I have no control over where or who I end up with,"**_ Ddraig elaborated.

"Okay…so you're a dragon then? Why's a dragon in a sacred gear? What the hell is a sacred gear supposed to be anyway?" Issei asked.

" _ **Sacred Gears are the gifts of God. They are bestowed upon humans by God and enact miracles upon the world. There are thousands of them and they are highly sought after by angels and devils. Your sacred gear is a Longinus, which is a unique and godly type of sacred gear. Supposedly there are only 13 of them. Yours is the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet…the Boosted Gear,"**_ the dragon continued explaining.

Issei was dumbstruck with the explanation, "God? As in the guy floating around in the clouds? He's real?!"

" _ **Yes…he is. Unfortunately, my battle with him is the reason why I am currently sealed within your sacred gear. As I explained, I am the Welsh Dragon Ddraig. To the rest of the world I am better known as one of the two heavenly dragons…the Red Dragon Emperor,"**_ Ddraig patiently answered.

"You fought god?! Just how strong are you?" Issei gawked.

" _ **No angel, demon, or god is a match for the heavenly dragons. Albion and I are greater than even the Five Great Dragon Kings. As my host, this power is yours to command as well,"**_ Ddraig said proudly.

"Who is Albion?" Issei asked.

" _ **He is the other heavenly dragon and my eternal rival…the White Dragon Emperor. He and his host will one day seek you out to battle. Such is the way of our eternal feud. You must master the Boosted Gear and be ready for that day,"**_ Ddraig commanded.

"I still don't know what's going on…" Issei said as he shook his head.

" _ **I will explain everything in due time. For now, we should prioritize training you and focus on concealing your power for**_ -" Ddraig stopped mid-sentence as a pounding was heard at the bathroom door.

"Issei what in the world are you doing in there?! What's that smell?! Who are you talking to? I'm coming in!" the boy's mother shouted furiously from the hallway.

Issei then realized that the entire bathroom was a wreck and several fires were burning in the room. Before he could think of what to do, the door swung open.

His mother gasped at the condition the bathroom was in and looked at her son disbelievingly, "Issei what have you done in here?! Have you been playing with fire?!"

"No, mom, I…" Issei couldn't find a way to explain the situation as his mother furiously began to pat out the several fires in the room.

After she was finished, she turned towards him angrily, "I thought you knew better than that! What were you doing in here?!"

"Sorry, mom…" was all he could think to say. He truly had no idea how to explain the situation. He couldn't very well tell his mother that he was coughing up fire in the bathroom.

Mrs. Hyoudou glared at him, "You've been acting up all week! Now this?! Wait till your father gets home! You could have burned the house down!"

Issei said nothing as he felt the familiar burning itch covering his body.

' _Oh no…I can't start this up again while she's standing here! I have to run before she sees!_ ' Issei thought in a panic as he immediately darted out of the room and then the house.

"Where are you going?! Issei, get back here this instant!" his mother demanded.

He could hear his mother calling out to him from inside the house, but he was now sprinting down the street at full speed. Much to his amazement, he was moving way faster than he ever had before. Charging down the street, he even started to pass by cars.

Seeing a crowd of people ahead of him, he desperately darted right across the street and jumped to avoid them. To his utter shock, he leapt a tremendous distance and landed on the roof of a nearby house.

"What the hell is this?!" He said aloud as he looked around breathing heavily.

He felt the boosted gear trying to manifest again, but using Ddraig's previous suggestion, he managed to revert it a second time. Issei let out a sigh of relief as he laid back on the rooftop staring at the stars in the nighttime sky.

"I can't believe I just did that…" he said as he blankly stared into the cosmos.

" _ **Your physical features will be enhanced considerably now that you've awakened your dragon powers. Your Intellect, speed, strength, agility, stature, and even your charisma will be far greater than that of a human, angel, or devil. I've actually never seen it manifest in a host as young as you. It will greatly affect your development into adulthood I imagine,"**_ Ddraig rambled.

"What are you talking about, Ddraig?" Issei asked confused.

" _ **Nothing boy…just thinking aloud. Just know that as a dragon, you will dominate everything around you. You must be careful with your power however. It attracts everything to it…enemies, mates, and even those who wish to venerate you as a god. Previous hosts of mine have taken full advantage of their dominance, but it has ultimately led to their deaths. All of my previous hosts have gone mad with power. You should understand this truth if you wish to master yours."**_ Ddraig concluded.

"So, what happens now?" Issei wondered.

" _ **For now, you must simply live your life. At your age you are still vulnerable to angels and devils…as well as other mythological beings. Until you are older and stronger, I recommend you keep your power a secret. I will educate and train with you every day until I am certain that you are adequate to reveal yourself,"**_ the red dragon replied.

"Okay…so start from the beginning then. If angels, demons, and dragons are all real then what else is real?" Issei asked.

" _ **You might as well get comfortable…it takes many hours to explain this,"**_ Ddraig said with a sigh.

 **4 years later…**

Four long years of training had passed for the now 14-year-old Issei Hyoudou. In that time, he managed to progress exponentially at an almost alarming rate. Much to Ddraig's approval, training and teaching a child was far easier than a teenager or an adult, and that made Issei a much better learner than his previous hosts.

He had actually come to like his host a considerable amount despite only knowing him for four years. During their time together, Ddraig had managed to teach Issei all about the different mythologies and dangerous beings of the world. He trained the boy in proper use of the Boosted Gear, and much to his astonishment, Issei had fully mastered Balance Breaker, and was even able to activate his Juggernaut Drive. Unfortunately, he lacked proficiency in the latter because it was impossible to actually train with Juggernaut Drive without drawing unwanted attention from the widespread destruction.

He and Ddraig had debated for months on how to deal with this problem until one day, Issei got an idea.

Sitting on the edge of a high-rise building in the city, the brown-haired boy spoke, "I think I know where I can train the Juggernaut Drive, Ddraig."

" _ **Really? What do you have in mind?"**_ his good friend asked.

"You remember that place you talked about where the Great Red Dragon lives? The Dimensional Gap? I was thinking we could try there. It's removed from Earth, Heaven, and Hell and would be a great place to get some much-needed practice without having to worry about toning my power back," Issei explained his logic.

Ddraig let out a low grunt of disapproval, _**"That is not a good idea. The Dimensional Gap is a realm of chaos and entropy. It would tear you apart to go in there without any sort of protection. Not to mention, not even we are a match for the Dragon of Dragons. If he sees you in there, he'll kill you."**_

"Why would he kill us? We're both dragons, aren't we? Not to mention, if he's able to fly around in there, why can't I? You're telling me there's no way I can fly though there safely?" Issei wondered.

" _ **Well…it theoretically could be done, but it would take a great deal of effort to even get into the Dimensional Gap, let alone resist its entropy for long periods of time,"**_ Ddraig sighed.

"Don't you think that would be a great place to train? If my body is constantly fighting to stay intact, I could up the intensity and really test the limits of my boosting. Plus, it would be a good place to spend my afterschool hours you know?" Issei said eagerly.

Ddraig chuckled, _**"I admire your enthusiasm to train, Issei, but to be honest, getting there would be the most difficult part. There are only a few ways I can think that we can do it. The most obvious one would be finding Ophis and convincing her to take us there. I would rather we avoided that option lest we risk revealing the return of the Red Dragon Emperor prematurely. The only benefit to that option is Ophis can protect you from Great Red should you encounter him within the Dimensional Gap."**_

"Ophis should be our last option then. What are the other routes we could take? I'm surprised you weren't able to just go into the Dimensional Gap yourself. Is there any reason why I can't?" Issei asked.

" _ **Technically I could pass into it, but it required a great deal of power. If you wished to do so without causing a lot of destruction, then you would need to refine your power into a proper ability to penetrate the veil of this world. Obviously, that would require more training. The only other options are to go through Ophis or seek out a weapon that can cut through space and time. Both of which would only draw unwanted attention,"**_ he sighed.

"This might be off-topic, but how long do I have to keep my powers a secret? I find it strange that nobody has noticed me yet. Is all of this sneaking around really necessary?" Issei asked.

" _ **I am taking special precautions with you, boy. The various factions always have a way with tracking down dragon hosts early on in their lives. Many become their allies or lackeys. I have seen it countless times and it only serves to annoy me. You should reveal yourself when the time is right. For when you do…the white one will seek you out. Enjoy this peace of yours while it lasts. It's the only semblance of a peaceful life you'll ever have,"**_ the dragon said authoritatively.

"Well let's get to training then…I'll figure out a way to tear open a rift into the Dimensional Gap." Issei said as he stood up eagerly.

 **Several weeks later**

" _ **Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Transfer!"**_ Ddraig announced as Issei condensed a great deal of boosted power into the very tip of his gauntlet's claw.

With a precise, swift swing, he finally succeeded in cutting a rift into the Dimensional Gap with the heavily condensed power on his claw's tip.

"Finally!" Issei shouted in success as he joyfully activated his Balance Breaker and flew into the opening before it could close.

" _ **Impressive, boy…I never thought you would be able to do it with such little power,"**_ Ddraig said approvingly as Issei was now inside the Dimensional Gap.

"Well it's like you said…the opening required a ton of power to tear it open. But I figured if I put a lot on one tiny area it would eventually get so dense that it would have no choice but to tear open. It took a lot of work to only get it on one claw though. Thankfully it finally worked," Issei stated the cause of his success.

"Woah…this place looks weird. Nothing like I imagined," Issei said as he looked around the chaotic realm with awe and wonder.

" _ **You should be able to practice your full Juggernaut Drive in here without fear of being noticed…but don't push yourself too far or this place will tear your body apart. I suggest you only stay for a few hours at a time,"** Ddraig said as Issei already began to transform._

"I can't wait to finally do this!" he said eagerly.

As he transformed into his full juggernaut drive, his emotions began to flare as he gleefully unleashed as much power as he could in any which direction.

 **Several Days Later**

The past five days had proven to be an effective training regime for the Sekiryuutei. Issei had been coming into the Dimensional Gap after school consistently now and would stay there for hours at a time. A couple times he actually stayed all night much to his parents' concern. Granted they were quite used to him never being home these days. The more time Issei spent in the Dimensional Gap, the more he came to love the place for the sheer amount of solitude and freedom it provided.

Now on his sixth day of training, he was adamantly working to perfect his Longinus Smasher courtesy of Ddraig's suggestion. Upon achieving success after several hours, he finally managed to fire the overpowering blast into the distance. Right as he fired it however, a rift actually opened up in front of his attack.

Issei and Ddraig could only watch with utter horror as the Longinus Smasher fired in a colossal green beam towards the opening rift.

From the rift, a massive red dragon over a hundred meters long came through. It had four colossal wings and looked like a western dragon. The creature's golden eyes glowed with intensity as it did a barrel roll dodging the Longinus Smasher beam in a sharp turn.

Issei gawked with disbelief as the enormous red dragon flew over him letting out a loud vrooming shriek. Great Red flew over and around him in a circle as his eyes locked onto Issei in his juggernaut drive.

"Ddraig what the hell do we do?" Issei asked seriously as the colossal dragon began to snarl and vroom loudly.

" **What the fuck are you staring at?!"** Great Red demanded as he flew around in front of Issei looking down at him with a stoic glare.

To say he was intimidated by the Great Red Dragon of Dragons was an understatement. Issei had no idea what to say, but thankfully Ddraig spoke for him, _**"We were just training Great Red. Forgive my partner for getting in your way."**_

" **Ddraig huh? Now I recognize you…I thought I made it clear the last time that we ain't friends just because we're both red dragons. Get out of here unless you have a death wish! This is my turf!"** Great Red said in a low delinquent tone.

To Issei the dragon reminded him a lot of a Bosozoku which seemed unusual for a mythical creature of legend.

" _ **We'll leave, Great Red,"**_ Ddraig announced with evident relief in his voice.

" **Not so fast…what are you even doing in here? I don't like shady business,"** the dragon grunted.

"We were training, Great Red. I was doing it here, so I could keep my identity as the Red Dragon Emperor a secret," Issei explained to the titanic dragon.

" **Just call me Red…none of that** _ **'Great Red God-Emperor'**_ **or** _ **'Dragon of Dragons' bullshit.**_ **I'm not some great messiah for you little whelps to gawk at!"** Red said threateningly.

"Alright, Red, no disrespect, but Ddraig and I need this place to train in secret. I honestly never expected to see you in here. I thought this place was infinite," Issei explained.

" **Hmph…so you're training here to avoid being discovered by the angels, devils, and gods?"** Red asked.

Issei nodded, "Yeah that's right. I want to keep my powers a secret, so they can't bother me or interfere with my life until I'm more powerful. When the white dragon finally shows up, I want to be so much stronger than him, that I ultimately crush him and everyone else. After that I just want to live my life without anyone bothering me or telling me what to do…maybe pick up a few girls along the way too."

Red started laughing as his mood immediately lightened up, **"Ahahaha! Now that's a pretty good reason for training here. I wasn't expecting that. You don't want to rule the world or destroy it? You just want to be free and unstoppable. I like you kid. You're just like me."**

Issei knowing full well what kind of personality Red had at this point decided to go along with his complement, "Yeah, that's pretty much all I've ever wanted. I don't care much for all this drama between mythical factions. I'm glad that Ddraig encouraged me to not get involved with any of it yet. I just want to be strong enough to where nobody ever fucks with me."

" **Heh…I like that. You and Ddraig are free to hang out here then. Train hard kid and stay out of my way if you see me coming,"** Red said with a chuckle as he began to turn.

Seeing an opportunity in front of him, Issei called out, "Wait! I don't want to bother you or anything, but is it cool if we hang out with you in here?"

" **I fly alone. Why do you want to come with me anyway?"** Red asked strongly.

"I know you're a badass outlaw and all that good stuff, but I just thought it'd be cool to train with the strongest dragon in the universe," Issei suggested.

" **You're pushing it kid…I don't have time for that,"** Red said disapprovingly.

Issei frowned beneath his armor, "Too bad…I was thinking we could make a dragon gang or something."

" **Eh? Dragon gang you say? Hahaha, well that's a first. I don't think I've ever heard that before,"** Great Red laughed.

Ddraig spoke seriously, _**"What are you doing, partner? He's already granted us freedom to train here. Don't antagonize Great Red any further. He just wants to be left alone. Not to mention, dragons by nature are selfish and territorial. The idea of them being in a 'gang' is unheard of."**_

" **What's your name, wielder of the Boosted Gear and host of Ddraig?"** Red asked.

"Issei Hyoudou," said teenager answered immediately.

" **I like the way you think. Everyone would think twice about crossing us dragons if we made our own gang to rival theirs. You've convinced me. Now we need a cool name,"** Red said with an unusual enthusiasm.

" _ **I can't believe he's going for this…"**_ Ddraig seemed to be in disbelief that Issei was actually convincing Great Red to train him.

The Sekiryuutei thought for a moment, "Maybe Dragons of Discord. That's a cool, rebellious name."

" **Hah! You and I are going to be good friends, kid. Let's go flying and I'll train you a bit. If you're gonna be my wingman, you gotta be as tough as I am!"** Red said enthusiastically.

 **Three Years Later**

For the past three years, Issei and Ddraig would make trips into the Dimensional Gap to train and hang out with Red. Despite the unusual predicament, Ddraig came to appreciate the situation as Issei had managed to learn a great deal from his new mentor. Great Red taught him many forbidden and secret abilities that would come in handy against the White Dragon Emperor and other beings. In addition to gaining a ridiculous increase in his power, Issei had also grown an additional pair of dragon wings with his sacred gear now having four just like Red did.

Over the years of tough training and mental conditioning, he was now a rugged badass with a lean, buff physique and an incredibly desirable aura. With Great Red's training and overall mentoring, the now 17-year-old Issei Hyoudou had picked up a lot of delinquent personality traits as well.

His parents were quick to notice his new ways and would often try to talk to him about his life. During these long years of training in all of his spare time, Issei had spent a lot of time and many nights away from home which led his parents to assume he was part of a gang of some kind. When their son bought a motorcycle with unexplained money and started wearing a leather jacket everywhere, they were convinced he was involved in crime.

While it saddened Issei to see his parents distraught over his behavior, he figured it was probably best for them to assume that he was simply some delinquent thug than a powerful dragon emperor capable of destroying the world.

His first year of high school was rather interesting as Issei never actually went to class. In a stroke of genius, he managed to forge paperwork that said he was hospitalized and that he had to do his school work from home. He only ever showed up to take exams and would surprisingly always make perfect scores despite his lack of interest in the academics taught.

Unfortunately, nothing good lasted forever as his excuses and forgery eventually ran out. Despite not really caring about school, he still had a matter of pride to finish just so his parents wouldn't go off the deep end. With a reluctant sigh, he made his way to school for the brand new 2nd year at Kuoh Academy.

As he made his way to school, he rode his custom red motorcycle up to the front of campus popping a wheelie as he entered its gates. Without a muffler on it, the two-wheeled vehicle let out a loud howling noise as Issei blasted past students causing several to even jump out of his way in fear.

Pulling up next to a sidewalk, Issei parked his motorcycle and got off it. He left his leather jacket on the bike as he began to walk away. He was used to just leaving it on his bike everywhere he went and assumed there was nobody was stupid enough to try and touch it after the entrance he just made. As a delinquent, he wouldn't even wear a helmet which was technically illegal. Nobody had ever stopped him though much to his amusement.

His first day back to school was already starting to annoy him after he walked inside the main building. He strolled down the hallways with his hands in his pockets and an apathetic glare on his face. Much to his annoyance however, instead of avoiding him out of fear, everyone was staring at him like he was the most interesting person they had ever seen.

Some of these people had known him since he was young, but his distance and development over the past few years had caused Issei to become something of an outlaw to his peers. They barely saw him, and when they did all they could do was gossip about how strange and scary he had become.

Some people gave him nasty glares as he projected an aura of rebellious apathy that said to the world, 'Don't fuck with me.'

That was only the bravest of the bunch however. Most people would shuffle out of his way in fear as the tall, buff delinquent was notorious for being the toughest kid around. Issei found it strange how well known he was by the students of Kuoh Academy considering he was barely there all throughout his first year.

Many girls began to freeze up and gawk at him as he passed by. While they were clearly intimidated, some had shameless lustful looks. Girls were always attracted to bad boys, and according to everyone around school, he was the baddest.

"Issei-kun came to class today?!" One girl gawked loudly before blushing in embarrassment as Issei glanced at her.

"Hyoudou-san is actually at school today...just in time for the new school year too," he heard one of the girls say to the student council president.

The dark-haired student council president adjusted her glasses as she locked eye contact for a brief moment with the passing Issei.

He immediately stopped walking as he turned to face her, "What are you looking at Buchou?"

"Nice of you to come to school…I see your health is well. It must be considering you drove into the front gate pulling a wheelie," Sona said passively. Her tone clearly indicated that she was well aware of the fact that he wasn't actually sick during his time off.

"Yeah…all healed up now," Issei replied carelessly.

"I hear a lot of rumors that you're a troublemaker. Make sure you keep your nose clean or I'll get you expelled. Understood Hyoudou-san?" Sona said fearlessly.

Issei looked down at her incredulously, "Is that supposed to be a threat?!"

The onlookers all turned to watch as Issei took a step towards her with imposing eyes. She remained calm and looked up at him blankly, "It was…I suggest you get to class. You don't want to make an enemy out of me. Keep your delinquent behavior reserved to off-campus if you would, please."

"Or what?" he replied.

Sona gave him a death glare, but it did little to phase Issei as he turned his back on her, "Aye aye buchou. You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours."

As Issei continued walking a blonde boy, Saji, called out to him angrily, "Hey asshole! You can't talk to the President like that! Why don't you get your ass back here and apologize to her!"

Saji tried to stop Issei as he placed a hand on the back of his shoulder. This proved to be a huge mistake as Issei immediately grabbed the guy's wrist and turned around.

Saji slumped over in agony and began to cry out in pain as Issei squeezed his wrist tightly forcing him to his knees.

"Don't ever touch me again, dude, or you're losing this hand…" Issei said with a passive low tone as he released his grip on Saji causing him to fall over and grab his wrist.

"Should we do something about that...about him?" Tsubaki said to Sona somewhat concerned as everyone watched Issei walk away.

Sona looked concerned and whispered to Tsubaki, "Saji might not be very powerful as a devil, but a normal human shouldn't be able to do that to him. I had my suspicions there was something off about Hyoudou, but that was surprising. We should talk to Rias' peerage and see if they can find anything out about him. I doubt he would let anyone from the student council get near him without acting up."

As he walked away, Issei felt the eyes of everyone on him. His easy manhandling of Saji proved his reputation was accurate and it had everyone gossiping and staring like mad.

' _Now I know how Red feels…these cowards seriously need to stop looking at me. I knew it was gonna blow coming back here this year, but this is just insufferable,'_ Issei thought annoyed.

After continuing for a while, he finally walked into his new second year classroom, and was met with his sensei and class.

It looked like she had already started class and he was late. She turned to face him with a stern face, "Hyoudou-san?"

"Yeah…" he said carelessly.

"You're late…but seeing as how it's the first day, I will let that slide. Go ahead and take your seat," she said before turning towards the class.

Right as he sat down in a corner seat by the window, Issei saw a pair of girls walk into the room. They were both incredibly beautiful, but something about them caused him to immediately tense up as if they were a threat.

They spoke quietly to the teacher before she turned to the class again, "Well…it seems we have two new transfer students this year. Go ahead and introduce yourselves ladies."

"Two in one day? That's nuts," one of the male students said disbelievingly, "but at least these two are a couple of hotties and not some pretty boy asshole."

The male student had a shaved head and seemed to be having a conversation with his glasses-wearing friend next to him about the sizes of the new girls. On some level Issei could appreciate their conversation, but he was so far removed from them that he never bothered to talk to the two class perverts.

The transfer student with pale blue hair walked up first, "My name is Tiamat Draconis. I'm from Eastern Europe."

She seemed to be just as annoyed and callous towards the class as Issei which struck him as interesting. This girl clearly had no interest in coming off as friendly or approachable.

The silver haired girl walked up next, "I'm Valeria Drage. I'm from northern Europe. Most people just call me Vali. I would prefer it if you addressed me as such."

"Wow their Japanese is perfect," one of the girls in the class remarked with awe as she gazed admirably at the two gorgeous transfer students.

"Go ahead and sit over there you two," the teacher pointed to the two empty desks to Issei's right.

As the two girls made their way to their seats, both immediately looked at Issei as they sat down. He normally would have been bothered by this, but something about these girls was interesting to him. They both seemed atypical for high school girls…and not just because they were foreign.

Despite his curiosity, Issei decided not to look at them after a moment. Whatever they were it clearly wasn't human, but that mattered little to him as he had grown used to detecting devils in this school. So long as he kept a low profile, they would never be able to tell that he was a dragon.

After class, he made his way to lunch, but was alarmed when a smell filled his nostrils, _'More Devils? this school reeks of them. I wonder if those transfer students were devils too?_ '

As he bought some lunch, Issei looked for an isolated place on the rooftop to eat by himself. He passively ate his food as he thought about his next trip to see Red. His inner thoughts were short-lived however when the pale blue-haired girl from class walked up to him.

She was by herself much to his curiosity. Issei looked at her confused as she stood there and sniffed the air, "You're not human…you're not a devil…you're not an angel…you don't smell like anything. What are you?"

He immediately stood up and looked at the girl carelessly, "I'm nothing that concerns you."

"Is that right? Do you even know what I am?" she asked seriously.

"A beautiful girl asking me for a date?" he said with a laugh.

Tiamat couldn't help but smile at his statement, "You're lucky I found that funny or you would have died for saying that."

' _ **Issei…she's a dragon. I know her…Tiamat is one of the Five Dragon Kings! Please don't let her find out…'**_ Ddraig said telepathically.

' _Why? Is she powerful or something?'_ Issei asked telepathically.

' _ **Compared to you? No…but I still owe her, and I would rather she not find out who you are unless you want her to stalk you for the rest of your life.'**_ Ddraig replied.

' _She your ex or something?'_ Issei asked.

' _ **Not exactly…but I sort of owe her for breaking a treasure of hers. She's come after me and my hosts ever since then. Trust me…she's not the kind of drama you want to deal with,'**_ Ddraig said concerned.

"So…you're just a mystery then? How interesting…You must be a devil if you're this deep into their territory and they haven't done anything to you. Or maybe an undercover angel hiding his power and scent. Whatever you are, I will find out," Tiamat said as she got really close to Issei and started to sniff him again.

She immediately stopped when the voice of someone else called out, "Tiamat leave him alone. Let me do the talking here."

"As you say, Vali…" Tiamat said curtly before backing off.

Vali walked up to Issei and looked over him, "I don't care what you are. Angel, Devil, whatever…I'm half human myself. The name's actually Vali Lucifer. Nice to meet you Issei Hyoudou. I hear you are kind of a badass around Kuoh Academy. Word is you manhandled some student council white knight earlier."

"Is there a reason you're introducing yourself to me personally?" Issei wondered.

Vali shrugged, "Well not particularly. I just thought we'd touch base with you before anything else happens at this school. I don't make it a habit of approaching people or interfering with their privacy unlike Tiamat. I just wanted to let you know that we're not associated with the devil dens in this school."

"Neither am I," Issei replied casually.

"That's surprising, but it's good to know. If you'd like, you can join with us. You seem like the type of person worth keeping around," Vali said approvingly.

"Vali Lucifer…are you a devil?" Issei asked curiously.

"Yep…a high-class devil heir," the silver haired beauty said as she flashed eight black demonic wings before quickly receding them. He took this moment to fully take in her appearance now. She had beautiful blue eyes, long styled silver hair, and an aesthetically beautiful face. Her arms and legs looked very well-toned and she had a respectable bust and a really nice ass thanks to her athletic build.

Issei was genuinely surprised by the reveal of her devil wings as he stared at her uncertainly, "So you're a big-shot devil? What is she then?"

"Tiamat is a Dragon…one of the Dragon Kings. Specifically, she is the Chaos Karma Dragon. We're allies, and we have been for several years now." Vali explained.

"What are you doing at Kuoh Academy? What possible reason would a super devil and a dragon king have here? Why reveal yourselves to me?" Issei asked.

"I am looking for allies to join the Khaos Brigade and this town is rife with paranormal activity, so I was quick to assume it was a good place to scout for a while. This city is mostly part of the Gremory and Sitri territories, but it's got other variables here as well…such as yourself. I honestly didn't expect to find a suitable recruit on our first day," Vali replied.

"That makes sense…but what's the Khaos Brigade?" he asked.

"A group of individuals that are aligned against the angels of Heaven, the fallen angels, and devils of the underworld. We work for the Infinite Dragon God Ophis," Vali explained.

"Ophis the dragon god is your boss?" Issei said disbelievingly.

"Yes, and she said this town also had a dragon in it. I'm guessing that's what you are," Vali concluded.

' _Oh shit…damn I better play this down if I can. She doesn't know I'm the Red Dragon Emperor…maybe I can pretend I'm just some other dragon.'_ Issei thought on his feet.

"Ha…good guess. I am a dragon. Nothing quite as impressive as a Dragon King or anything like her though," Issei pointed at Tiamat.

"Oh, he's a dragon? How come I couldn't tell? That's odd…" Tiamat said shaking her head.

"One of my special abilities is concealing myself to others' senses. I prefer to keep it that way as angels and devils tend to despise my kind unless we're serving them," Issei explained.

"Fair point…though you seem more powerful than a simple dragon and you don't really smell like a human. I also don't know you and I know all of the great dragons." Tiamat said skeptically.

"Guess I'm not that great or powerful then," was all Issei said with a shrug.

"Regardless, we could always use another member of the Khaos Brigade. Besides, I'm sure Tiamat could train you up well," Vali suggested.

"Look, no disrespect Vali Lucifer and Dragon King Tiamat, but I sort of just do my own thing around here. We can be on good terms, but I don't care much for causes and taking orders from self-righteous people…no offense," Issei replied.

"So, you just intend to side with nobody? That's ridiculous! If the devils in this school found out what you were their clans would immediately try to recruit you into their ranks. That or they would kill you. If you're not that powerful, you wouldn't stand much of a chance against entire devil clans. You need allies in this world if you intend to stay alive. You can't just hide in plain sight forever. What interest do you even have in the human world?" Tiamat protested.

"It's relaxing for the most part. Honestly, I don't see much of a difference between your faction and the angels and devils. It's all pointless politics that literally means nothing to me. I don't care about angels, devils, gods, dragons, and whatever else. I just want to ride my motorcycle, do what I want, and not have some bigwig boss me around. I do that just fine living in this town," Issei said strongly.

"You're definitely a dragon…not interested in following others I see. Very well, Issei Hyoudou, we won't pressure you to join us. You have my word on that. However, I will take you up on your offer of being friends," Vali said with a sly grin.

' _Friends?! When the hell did I tell them I wanted to be friends? Being on good terms is not the same as being friends. Hmph…well at least they're not being super pushy about the recruiting thing. Besides these two look pretty…and pretty tough. I guess if it keeps them off my back,'_ Issei thought as he checked them both out.

' _ **Something about that Vali girl seems strange to me…I can't quite tell what it is, but I have a weird feeling about her. Keep your guard up around her Issei. She must be very powerful if Tiamat's taking orders from her. I wonder why they're working for Ophis?'**_ Ddraig said telepathically.

' _I think Red mentioned something about Ophis challenging him a while back. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. We could always ask him when we go back,'_ Issei replied to Ddraig.

"Friends? That might be pushing it a little. How about this, I'll stay out of your way and wave if I see you in the hallway. And I guess you can eat lunch with me if you want…but that's it. I'm not your lackey, I'm not your ally, and I sure as hell am not your friend. So, don't try cozying up to me," Issei said strongly.

"For a dragon with little renown, you're awfully bold to talk to us that way," Tiamat said with a low hiss.

"Maybe so, but I don't take shit from anyone whether they're a dragon king or a Satan," Issei countered.

Tiamat smiled at his fearless attitude, "You've definitely got the right attitude to be strong. I can still train you if you want. I don't see many other dragons these days."

"No thanks…I'd rather not get mixed up with you two if I can avoid it. You can still eat lunch with me if you want though," Issei said dryly.

"Suit yourself, dumbass. I've never offered to train another dragon before…but I kind of like you so far. The offer still stands if you change your mind," Tiamat said as she got really close to his face and licked his cheek.

Tiamat then left leaving Vali and Issei alone. The silver-haired beauty cocked her head at him as if deep in thought, "Say…that red motorcycle at the front of the school wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"

"Yeah it's mine…what of it?" Issei asked.

"It looked pretty decked out…it might even be as fast as mine," Vali noted.

"You ride?" Issei asked surprised.

"Hell yeah I do. I got my bike imported just the other day. I know you're trying to keep a low profile by avoiding us and all, but if you're up for it we can go riding sometime," Vali suggested as she took her leave.

Issei couldn't help but stare at her ass for a moment almost transfixed by it. He quickly collected his thoughts as he returned to class. As he walked inside and down the staircase, he saw gorgeous girl with crimson red hair pass by him in the opposite direction.

The two briefly made eye contact before Issei passed her. He looked back at her standing on the stairway to see that she was staring at him. Her sapphire gaze was drilling a hole into him, yet for some reason he wasn't bothered by her staring.

He quickly departed shortly afterward as his mind wandered on the encounter, _'Who is that girl?! Her hair was redder than blood…and what was with that look she gave me? She smelled like a devil…is she the Gremory Devil girl that runs the Occult club here? I don't think I've ever seen her before.'_

As Issei's mind wandered he stopped paying attention to his surroundings and ended up walking into someone. It was a blonde guy who looked rather handsome and well-groomed.

Issei had no idea who he was, but he accidentally knocked this guy down by walking into him. This seemed to cause a scene as many surrounding girls shrieked and gawked at the scene.

"Oh my god! Hyoudou knocked down Kiba-sama!" one of the girls proclaimed loudly.

The blonde boy quickly recovered and stood up looking at Issei surprised. It only took him half a second to detect the trace of a devil scent on him.

' _Damn how many of these things are in this school?!_ ' Issei fumed mentally.

The blonde boy, Kiba, seemed shocked that Issei was able to knock him down by absent-mindedly walking into him. He rubbed the back of his head and gave a friendly smile, "You're a lot stronger than you look. Sorry if I got in your way, Hyoudou-kun."

' _Huh…he's being respectful? That's odd. He definitely isn't part of Sona's devil den then. All of them are uptight assholes. What'd that girl say his name was? Kiba?_ ' Issei wondered.

"Yeah, my bad…I didn't see you," Issei replied calmly deciding not to be an asshole to the guy.

Kiba seemed surprised at Issei's lack of hostility as did the surrounding Kiba fangirls.

"Well excuse me, Hyoudou-kun. Take care," Kiba replied with a smile as he took his leave.

' _He must be part of the Gremory Clan. He didn't seem like a half bad guy for a devil,_ ' Issei thought as he returned to class.

 **End of the Day**

As he reached his motorcycle at the front of the school, ready to go home, Issei was surprised to see Vali on a badass white motorcycle right next to his.

She looked over at him as he walked up, "Yo Issei, why don't you show me what that bike of yours can do."

Before Issei could respond Vali revved up her motorcycle loudly causing a huge scene. Everyone in the front of the school stood around and watched with shock as Issei got on his, started it up, and revved his back at her.

Tiamat pulled up on a blue motorcycle right next to them a moment later, nearly running over several students in the process.

"Nice bikes," Issei said with an enthusiastic grin.

"Yours too…" Tiamat said laughing as she did a donut in the street.

The Sekiryuutei grinned as he immediately popped a wheelie and took off down the road. He was surprised when the blue and white motorcycles of Tiamat and Vali slowly caught up to him.

Both came up either side of him and before long Issei realized it was a race. They all tore through town at high speeds causing many police to come after them, but none managed to catch the dragon trio as they recklessly and obnoxiously raced around the city. This went on for nearly two hours before finally Issei came up to his home.

He wasn't surprised that Tiamat and Vali had ended up following him there as they likely wanted to know where he lived. Issei couldn't help but wonder if they intended on using his family against him, but quickly dismissed those thoughts as he realized they would be dead if he ever caught them messing with his parents.

"Done already, Issei? That was a blast!" Tiamat exclaimed.

' _They're already calling me by my first name like we're friends or something…that's presumptuous as hell,'_ the brown-haired dragon couldn't help but think.

"You never asked if it was okay to call me by my name. I thought I told you we aren't friends," Issei said as Vali and Tiamat traded glances.

"Good race, Issei…you won't win the next one though. Take care…" Vali said as she gave Issei a seductively sly grin.

A moment later both Vali and Tiamat took off leaving Issei at the front of his house. He sighed for a moment before parking his bike.

Just then a terrifying epiphany crossed his mind, _'Wait a second…they think I'm an actual dragon and not a human. So, if they end up seeing my human parents they'll assume I'm a human too. And then they'll assume I have a sacred gear…ah shit. I better avoid bringing them here if I can. It couldn't hurt to come up with a good excuse for when they ask me about it too._ '

" _ **I wouldn't stress over it too much, Issei…you're definitely ready to reveal yourself now that you've matured your powers,"**_ Ddraig said reassuringly in Issei's mind.

' _Yeah…but it's like you said, the moment I do, all hell will break loose. I at least wanted to get through high school. At this rate I doubt that's gonna happen.'_ Issei replied telepathically to Ddraig.

He sighed heavily as he walked through the front door lost in thought.

Both of his parents perked up with surprise as he walked inside and announced his arrival, "I'm home."

"We know…we heard you drive up. I-I hope you're doing well, Issei. We never really see you much these days. You mind if we talk, son?" his father asked cautiously.

"Sure, I guess…what about?" Issei asked.

"Umm…well your mother and I have been talking and its…well we're concerned about your behavior," his father continued.

"This again?" Issei sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"We thought it was just a phase at first, but you're really getting deep into this delinquent thing, son. You're not involved with the Yakuza, are you?" his father asked worried.

"No, I'm not…I just ride my motorcycle and work. You guys worry too much about me," Issei said casually.

His mother frowned, "We never see you with any friends or hear about what's going on in your life. It's like you're never here…like you never want to be here. Why? What are you avoiding, Issei? Is it us? Is there a girl or something going on? Are you in trouble? You can tell us, son…we're just worried about you."

"I'm fine, honestly. I just have a lot of hobbies," Issei tried to explain vaguely.

"Like what? Where do you go? You aren't part of any clubs from what I've heard, and there's rumors that you're a troublemaker at school. I even had one of your teachers ask me if you were recovering from your illness. Have you been skipping school too?" his mom asked.

"Not skipping. I still have the highest grades in my class I believe. I just do things around town…I work on motorcycles and train martial arts. You know that kind of stuff. I promise it's nothing bad," Issei said reassuringly.

"Then where do you get all this money from? How can you afford that motorcycle and all the things you buy for us?" his dad asked.

"It's not that much money…" Issei said with a shrug.

His father shook his head and held up two tickets, "You bought us roundtrip tickets to a resort in Europe, and paid off my car. Kids don't do those kinds of things for their parents."

"What your father is trying to say is, we appreciate these things you're doing for us, but it's just hard to accept since you barely talk to your father and me. You don't have to buy us things to make us love you, Issei. We just want to see you around more," his mother said softly.

' _I totally forgot I bought them tickets for a vacation. That's actually good timing…I can get them out of here for a bit and keep my cover going,'_ Issei thought relieved.

"I wish you guys would stop worrying about me. My grades are good, I make good money, and I have hobbies. It's not as crazy as you make it out to be. I just thought it'd be a good anniversary gift for you," he replied.

"We can't accept these tickets…not unless I know how you could afford to buy them," his father said.

"I've been working for this international group lately. They pay really well for me to fix their motorcycles. Just take the tickets and go on the cruise," Issei said sternly.

His father sighed, "Well…I suppose if you insist. Although why didn't you buy one for yourself as well?"

"I'm too busy with school and work. Speaking of which, I have homework to do," Issei replied.

"A-alright…we love you son. It's okay if you ever want to talk to us. We just want you to know we're here for you," his mother said somewhat emotionally as she moved to hug him.

Despite his delinquent personality, Issei still did his best to maintain a good relationship with his parents. After talking to them, he made his way to his room and closed the door.

' _I should go ask Red if he knows anything about the Khaos Brigade_ ,' Issei thought as he plopped down on his bed.

" _ **I wouldn't recommend trying to go tonight or anytime soon. Those two girls are no doubt watching you in some manner. Let their curiosity die down a bit before going. You will regret it if Tiamat finds out you're the Red Dragon Emperor,"**_ Ddraig spoke up.

"Ughh…I hate this crap. I'm so used to hanging out in the Dimensional Gap that I just can't stand not being able to vent there," Issei sighed.

 **The next day**

The following day, Issei's parents left for their vacation. They seemed a bit unhappy about it being on such short notice, but Issei knew they would change their mind once they got there.

He rode his motorcycle to school, and actually decided to park it more appropriately today. He was surprised when he saw Tiamat and Vali waiting by their bikes when he pulled up.

' _Damn…are they waiting for me?'_ Issei thought incredulously as he pulled up.

"Yo, Issei, about time you got here. Do you make it a habit to show up five minutes before class?" Vali asked with a laugh.

Issei shrugged, "Pretty much. I like to spend as little time around this place as possible."

"I meant to ask you yesterday, Issei, what kind of dragon are you?" Tiamat asked as the three began to walk towards the school building.

"Just a high-level flame dragon…nothing crazy," he replied.

Tiamat looked at him curiously, "Hmm…is Issei your real name?"

He nodded, "Pretty much."

"I've never heard of a flame dragon having the ability to transform and conceal his power. You're stronger than that," Tiamat said shaking her head.

"Well I'm sort of unique…but seriously I'm nobody important," Issei replied.

Vali stared at him for a moment, "Hey, Issei…would you be interested in meeting Ophis? She could make you more powerful if you wanted."

' _So much for not trying to force me to join the Khaos Brigade. These chicks are seriously being pushy,'_ Issei thought.

' _ **Technically they haven't actually asked you to join again. But this is definitely them trying to get on your good side. They're remarkably persistent. Although considering it's Tiamat, why am I surprised?'**_ Ddraig remarked.

' _It makes sense I suppose. Ophis did send them to this town to find a dragon and recruit people for their little faction. I wonder how she knew I was here? If we meet her, she'll immediately be able to tell I'm the Red Dragon Emperor,'_ Issei thought concerned.

"I don't really have much of a reason to get more powerful. I'm trying to stay out of all these wars and shit, you know?" Issei tried to talk his way out of the corner.

Vali frowned, "Yeah, but you're a dragon. All dragons want to get more powerful, famous, and rich. Greed is in their nature. You seem too strong-willed to have no ambition or goals to get more powerful."

"What the hell would you know about dragons…devil?" Issei said darkly.

Vali sighed, "No need to get mad. I'm just going off of what I know from seeing Tiamat."

"Heh, she's not wrong, Issei," the blue haired dragon said with a chuckle.

As the three passed into Kuoh Academy's front doors, they were met with the wide-eyed stares of everyone present. Every single guy in the room was radiating envy at the sight of seeing the two new sexy transfer students following Issei.

The girls all began to cluck around and gossip like made hens.

"Issei-kun is hanging out with the transfer students?!" one declared.

"They're so beautiful…why are they following that prick?" a guy said sadly.

Issei appeared even more desirable to all of the girls in the school now as the two bombshell hotties followed him to their class.

"Is he dating one of them? Both maybe?" one girl gasped.

"I saw them riding motorcycles away from school yesterday. Are they in a gang or something?" another said.

"Issei-kun is taken? How is he ever going to notice me with girls like that hanging around him?" Issei overheard one girl whisper to her friends.

Just a simple stroll to class, and it already seemed to be spreading like wildfire that these two girls had a thing with him. Issei found it amusing, but was slightly embarrassed because Vali and Tiamat undoubtedly heard it all too.

Right before they made it to class however, Issei noticed Sona and the gorgeous red haired girl from the other day talking to each other further down the hallway. They both turned and stared at the sight of him, Vali, and Tiamat all walking into a classroom.

 _'Oh shit…now the devils are going to think I'm with them. Ughh…the drama never ends at this school_ ,' Issei sighed.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright so there's the first chapter. It's pretty long, but I make it a point to write large chapters. So I hope you enjoy what you've read so far. Thanks for reading and let me know if you liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm**

The school day was now at its end once again much to Issei's relief as he made his way out of class. Tiamat seemed just as bored as he was and let out an over exaggerated sigh, "Damn, I thought that was never going to end. I can't believe people actually do this school stuff every day in this world."

Issei glanced over at her and shrugged, "Yeah, it's pretty lame. Half of the things they teach here are irrelevant to me."

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so," Tiamat said with a grin.

Vali shook her head at the two of them, "No knowledge is a waste, no matter how insignificant or boring it may seem. There are things I remember learning from my youth that ended up saving my life later on. You just never know with some things. You should learn to value all knowledge…because all knowledge is power."

Tiamat deadpanned at her, "Nice speech, Vali, but do you really think us learning about Japanese history is a worthwhile endeavor? I know enough about them…I don't care about whatever deity or shrine that lame teacher was droning on about. She lost me whenever she stopped talking about Orochi. Why can't that teacher talk about me and how awesome I was terrorizing Eurasia and Mesopotamia? Ah Babylon…now those were the good days…"

"I'm sure they were. I imagine having all that ancient knowledge probably makes life around here seem dull in comparison," Issei nodded in understanding.

"Hmph, it could be worse. You're at least entertaining enough around here," she said with a shrug.

"I'm not here to entertain you, your majesty. I already told you I'm not your servant or lackey…" Issei stated strongly.

The dragon woman turned towards him with a serious stare. She didn't say anything for a moment as the two briefly locked gazes. Issei took this moment to admire her beauty. Her pale blue hair and tan complexion were certainly an exotic feature that he liked. She was slightly shorter than him, but taller than Vali and most other people around. Her eyes were the most unique thing about her however. They had a slight reptilian look to them with barely noticeable slits and a golden green color that had a bluish ring around the pupils.

After a moment Issei realized he was staring and spoke up, "What?"

"You're not afraid of me…I find that both intriguing and confusing. Most dragons look away if I stare at them like that. Hehehe I admire your bravery," she said approvingly.

"Oh…" Issei said not really sure how to reply.

' _What the hell was she doing, Ddraig?_ ' Issei asked mentally.

' _ **That look she just gave you was a territorial stare. Your staring back at her is a sign of you expressing dominance and having no fear. Had you looked away it would have been a sign of subservience to her. Now she's going to think you're more powerful than you're pretending to be…that or assume you're trying to impress her. Both of which are bad…especially the latter.'**_ Ddraig explained.

"Say, Issei, why do you even go here? What's the point of going to school in this world?" Tiamat asked as the three walked down the hallway. Luckily their conversation was quiet enough to not be heard, but they were still noticeable as their presence drew another crowd of onlookers.

"That's a good point. You look like you're from here…is there any reason you chose Kuoh to live in? I mean your house looked kind of mediocre for what I'd expect a dragon to live in. Do you live with anyone?" Vali asked curiously as her sapphire gaze lingered on Issei for a moment.

"Kuoh is where my family lives," was all Issei could really think to say.

"Your family? Hmm…so are you only half dragon then?" Vali wondered.

' _Shit why did I say that without thinking…damn it, I might as well just play along with this. They're bound to learn about my parents and childhood sooner or later anyways._ ' Issei thought to himself.

"Half? He doesn't even smell human to me…and he never said he was. He's a special flame dragon, right Issei?" Tiamat said doubtfully before glancing at the delinquent.

"Yes and no…" he sighed.

"Hah…is that what you meant you said you were unique?" Tiamat chuckled, "you're just embarrassed you're a half-breed? Hahahahaha."

Issei gave her a sharp glare and said nothing as he looked away.

"Hey now, don't get all offended…you're still a dragon," Tiamat said punching him in the arm.

Much to his surprise it was way harder than he was expecting, but thankfully he didn't show any reaction to the hit. His stoicism was duly noticed by Tiamat as she grinned at his painless expression.

' _ **She's testing you…'**_ Ddraig said with a horrified voice.

' _For what?_ ' Issei asked. Unfortunately, Ddraig never responded much to his annoyance.

Vali pat the brown-haired teenager on the back as they continued walking, "Don't listen to Tiamat, there's nothing wrong with being a half breed, Issei…"

"Yeah…" was all he said in response as he looked forward again.

"Look, we don't hold it against you for not telling us the truth about it. Half-breeds are hated everywhere. Trust me if anyone would understand, it's me," Vali said seriously.

"I'm done talking about this," Issei said bluntly with a cold expression.

Vali nodded her head empathetically at his demeanor before Tiamat let out another chuckle of amusement, "I don't think any less of you for it Issei. So, cheer up already, will ya? At least you're not a half-devil like Vali."

The silver haired girl sent a fierce glare at Tiamat, "What was that?!"

"Huh? What?" Tiamat pretended to be oblivious with a mischievous smile.

Vali shook her head, "Don't make me fuck you up, Tia…"

"Hey woah…easy there Ms. Lucifer. Miss me with the attitude will ya? Jeez I thought you could take a joke by now,' Tiamat responded quickly.

' _Well my cover story isn't holding quite as expected, but at least now I don't have to worry about them coming around the house or finding out about my parents_ ,' Issei thought somewhat relieved.

As they walked outside and made their way to the parking lot, Vali checked the time and looked serious, "Oh shit…we're late, Tiamat."

"Late for what? Oh…that meeting with the Brigade," she said remembering halfway through her sentence.

"Sorry, Issei, but we don't have time to ride with you today," Vali explained as the three walked up to their motorcycles.

"You don't have to explain yourselves to me, I don't really care what you do," Issei said carelessly.

Vali simply rolled her eyes at his statement, "You're lucky we have somewhere to be or I'd beat your ass in a race today, tough guy. I guess we'll see you around."

"Take care," Issei waved as Vali revved up and started to drive off.

Tiamat punched him in the arm again as she rode by. He had no idea why as the dragon lady stuck her tongue out at him before taking off after Vali.

After they left Issei let out a heavy sigh of relief, _'Well that was…close. I hope they don't stay here for the rest of my high school life. Those girls are a hassle to deal with and I've only known them a few days.'_

Issei chose not to think any more on the matter as he got on his bike and began to drive home. He only made it about a block or so before he decided to go eat something.

Pulling into a nearby restaurant, he parked up front and quickly walked inside. The workers and customers of the establishment immediately froze up as he walked in. Issei was used to this reaction as most people assumed he was a gangster there to cause trouble or extort someone.

The delinquent teen walked up to the counter and watched surprised as the entire line let him pass to the front. ' _Jeez…do I scare people that badly?_ ' he thought somewhat amused as he walked up and ordered his food.

Upon getting his meal and sitting down to eat, Issei began to wonder about how he was going to deal with his current situation. He certainly wasn't afraid of the situation, but he was dreading on how to inevitably handle with the storm of turmoil that would arise once all the devils at Kuoh Academy found out who and what he was.

Vali and Tiamat would also be problems. Issei couldn't help but wonder if he was going to have to kill everyone at the school at some point. Deep in his thoughts as he ate his meal, Issei barely noticed someone approach him at his table.

"Umm…excuse me, are you Hyoudou-san?" a nervous voice spoke.

Issei snapped out of his inner reflections as he noticed a girl wearing his school's uniform. He cocked his head at her confused. She had shoulder length blue hair, blue eyes, and a slightly androgynous looking face.

It only took him a few seconds to smell a devil scent on her which caused him to immediately scowl, "What?"

"I apologize for bothering you outside of school like this, but I was just eating in here when I saw you walk in and was wondering if I could eat with you?" she said somewhat fearfully. She was holding a plate of her own food with a bowl on it.

The fact that she was even brave enough to ask him something like that was rather remarkable in his opinion. He was almost surprised she would even try considering how confrontational Issei was with Sona Sitri one of the devil princesses in the school.

"Why? Did the president put you up to this? What does she want?" Issei asked with serious eyes.

"Yes, but I didn't expect to see you today. I was going to talk to you at school tomorrow, but since you're here it's…I just thought maybe I could talk to you now. We didn't want to upset you or make you…can I please sit down?" the girl couldn't really find the words to express her thoughts as she looked around desperately.

"Just sit down…people are staring," Issei said somewhat annoyed.

He immediately sent death glares to several gawking onlookers causing them all to immediately turn around or look away.

The girl sat down eagerly and placed her food in front of her on the table. There was pure silence for a moment as she ate a bit of her food. She snuck a glance up at Issei after a few moments and blushed heavily. She was surprised however when she noticed he wasn't even paying attention to her. She nervously fiddled with her food as she waited patiently for Issei to say something.

Issei was lost in his thoughts again as he passively ate the rest of his meal.

"Is that poor girl dating that punk kid? How unfortunate," Issei heard an older woman say from across the room. He immediately snapped from his daze again and looked at the girl in front of him.

' _Shit…this does look like a date, doesn't it? I thought she would have said her piece by now…why isn't she talking? She's been sitting here for like a minute._ ' Issei wondered

"Are you just going to sit there and say nothing? If you have something to say girl, just say it already," Issei said shaking his head at her.

Finally, after he broke the ice for her, she looked up and spoke, "Sona asked me to give you a message…she wants to meet with you and talk about something important."

"It took you that long to tell me that? Why did you need to sit here and eat with me then?" Issei immediately questioned her.

She looked away embarrassed, "I just…"

"Listen, you can tell that stuck up princess to come ask me herself. Why would she send you to deliver some useless message to me? Was she too afraid to ask me in person?" Issei said with some hostility.

"N-no, I asked her if I could go instead," the girl said shyly.

Issei crossed his arms and stared at her, "Do you have a deathwish or something? Why would you want to talk to me willingly?"

"I was really curious about you," the girl finally found her spine as she began to speak normally.

"Is that right?" he said looking at her intensely.

"You took Saji down with ease…I just wanted to ask you how?" the girl replied.

The dragon shook his head, "I squeezed his wrist and threw him on the ground…so what?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Hyoudou-san. I'm sure you know this by now, but Saji's not human…how did you do that to him? What are you?" the girl asked.

"Look, lady…I don't have time to sit here and play 20 questions with you. So, unless you're here to confess your undying love to me or something, then there's really nothing else to be said here. Tell the president that I don't deal with this political roundabout bullshit. She can come talk to me in person if she's got something to say to me. If that's all you can leave now," Issei said strongly as he looked away.

A brief moment of silence passed before he turned back and saw the girl blushing heavily, "Who says things like that? You want me to confess undying love to you?"

"Is that why you're still here? This should be good…" he couldn't help but chuckle causing the girl to blush with embarrassment.

"No of course not! I just wanted to make sure you knew that Sona will probably try to talk to you sometime soon," the girl tried to cover her shame as she stood up and began to leave.

"No confession huh? Too bad. You got a name, babe?" Issei asked causing her to turn around with crimson cheeks.

"Tsubasa Yura…I'm a third year," she said before immediately running out of the restaurant.

' _I wasn't expecting her to fall apart like that. Girls take it so literally when I make those kinds of jokes_ ,' Issei thought amused.

He could hear the inhabitants of the restaurant gossiping about what just happened, but chose to ignore it as he left.

' _So, she's one of the Sitri devils and my senpai too? Not a half bad looking girl even for a devil. She was respectful at least. I wonder what I would say if a girl actually did confess to me? She certainly was a bit flustered…'_ Issei thought as he got on his motorcycle and drove home. After about fifteen minutes of weaving through traffic he was there.

As he pulled up into his driveway, he was surprised to see another girl sitting on his doorstep. 'Damn, _another one? Why won't these people leave me alone?_ ' Issei sighed as he walked up.

The girl perked up upon noticing him, "Are you Issei Hyoudou?"

"Yeah…and you better have a damn good reason for loitering around my house," he threatened.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry…it's just I can never catch you anywhere else, and I found out from a friend that this is where you lived," she tried to explain.

"Are you some kind of stalker then? What do you want with me?" Issei questioned her motives immediately.

"Well…it's kind of an unusual situation. I was going to try and lie to you originally, but I changed my mind today. You seem like a strong person who respects the truth and an upfront offer, so I'll make my intentions clear. My allies and I know you're not a normal human. Judging by the way the devils react in your presence, it's fairly obvious that they're scared of you. We also know that you're not a member of any devil peerage, yet you can operate freely within their territory," she explained.

Issei looked at her for a moment taking in her appearance. This girl had long black hair, purplish colored eyes and was deceptively cute despite what his instincts told him. After noticing her school uniform, Issei quickly realized that she was a fallen angel as her particular school was in their territory.

"So, you want me to join you instead, fallen angel?" Issei asked bluntly.

The fallen angel seemed shocked that Issei was immediately able to figure out what she was, but continued speaking carefully, "Actually…we would like you to work with us in secret. You're under no obligation to serve us should you accept, but we would greatly value your help if you were to keep an eye on the happenings around Kuoh Academy."

Issei thought for a moment, "Why can't you just do it yourself? You seriously don't have any good spies?"

"We do…but the devils have reinforced heavy security lately after that dragon started attending there. Our boss recently found out that the Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat was going to your school, and he wants to know why. He sent us to find out but wants us to avoid provoking the devils at all costs. Seeing as how that dragon is always in devil territory we can't really risk espionage without drawing their attention and starting an altercation. This might be presumptuous to ask, but would you be willing to do it for us?" the girl requested slowly.

"Maybe…but what is it you expect to find out?" Issei played along with the idea.

"We honestly don't know. It could be anything. Please, if you do this for us we would owe you big time," the girl said sincerely.

"I'll spare you the trouble angel, Tiamat is here looking for a dragon…looking for me," Issei gave her an honest answer.

She gawked at him surprised, "Really?!"

"Yeah…she doesn't give a shit about whatever political standoff you got going on right now. She tried to recruit me into her little posse. I said no and now she's just hanging around trying to change my mind I guess," Issei shrugged.

"I…didn't expect you to just tell us right away…well I guess that takes care of that," she said slowly.

"It sure does…you mind leaving now?" Issei asked.

The dark-haired girl flinched for a moment as her head turned to the side. It looked like something spooked her judging by her surprised and fearful reaction. The fallen angel quickly turned back to him, "Wait…is it okay if I stay for a bit?"

"What? At my house?" Issei gawked at her.

"I mean I know that sounds…umm, it's just I sense I a high-class devil in this neighborhood. If I leave they'll capture me or kill me," the black-haired beauty said concerned.

"You can't just teleport away?" Issei said confused.

The girl shook her head, "Not without them knowing I was here…I didn't expect one to come snooping around this time of day. This has to stay a secret. Lord Azazel's orders."

Issei honed his senses for a moment and detected a familiar smell, ' _It's that red haired girl's scent. She's not nearby just yet, but she's definitely coming. I can stay discreet, but this girl is toast if that Gremory chick catches her. Screw it…I'll let her stay_.'

Before the girl could even react, Issei quickly grabbed her and went inside. Issei then immediately channeled red energy over his hands and pinned the girl on the ground. She yelped as he spread a red cloak of magic around her body.

Not even a moment later, he hid her on the ground behind his couch and covered her mouth. She looked up at him shocked as Issei was now on top of her. He raised a finger to his lip before standing up and quickly sitting down on the couch in front of the window.

It seemed to be just in time too as he could now sense the red-haired girl watching him from outside the window. He pretended not to notice her as he turned on the TV and started watching Drag So-Ball Z.

This must have clearly bored the devil girl because she left a few minutes later much to his relief. Once he was sure she was gone, Issei spoke up, "You can get up now angel girl,"

The dark haired fallen angel stood up relieved and immediately let out a breath she had been holding in.

"Damn…you really saved my ass from that little red devil bitch. It would have been bad if she caught me out here. If the devils found out that we were snooping in their territory it would lead to conflict…and then Lord Azazel would probably punish us if we survived," the angel said as she collapsed on the couch next to him.

"That Gremory girl doesn't look that tough," was all Issei said as he kept watching his favorite show.

"They say call her the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess…she's supposedly related to one of the four Satans," the fallen angel explained.

"I guess it's good she didn't find you then," the dragon delinquent replied with a grin.

"How did you do that? Did you conceal my power from her?" the angel asked confused, "because she should have been able to detect me at that range. She definitely would have had I tried to teleport away."

"You're lucky I appreciate your honesty, or I would have let her catch you out here. Good behavior deserves a reward…that's the only reason I helped you," Issei said looking at her intensely.

The fallen angel looked at him curiously, "Do you conceal your own power from the devils? Is that how you're able to freely operate in their territory?"

"Pretty much…" Issei replied as he turned his head back to the TV.

"You're a dragon then? Why is a dragon in this town, and why would Tiamat want you to join her?" the girl asked inquisitively.

Issei glanced over at her again, "You ask a lot of questions fallen angel. You're lucky I told you as much as I did. You already know more than enough about me."

"I'm guessing the devils don't know you're a dragon then? They would have tried recruiting you into their foul dens if that was the case. Just out of curiosity, why haven't you aligned with them?" the dark-haired girl asked with anxious eyes.

"Because devils are always causing drama and they're way too obsessed with status and titles. I see how they treat each other and I don't have any interest in all that political nonsense. If I worked for them, they would talk like this: ' _Oh, lesser pawn, I detest your abhorrent attitude and rebellious disposition! Don't you know that my family is rich and I'm a high-class devil? I'm so important, rich, and powerful…did I mention how important I was and powerful? Oh, you couldn't even begin to grasp the majesty of my position. Uhhhhhh I'm so special!_ '" Issei imitated a posh, effeminate voice with an over-exaggerated moan at the end causing Raynare to laugh hysterically.

"Hahaha! You're pretty funny…I kind of expected you to be way more serious. Kalawarner said you're really mean and serious all the time," the angel laughed.

Issei cocked his head at her, "Kalawarner? She one of your friends?"

"More or less…she's part of my team. She's the one who watched you the most out of all of us," the angel explained.

"So that's what that bird smell was," Issei said aloud as he recalled detecting a strange scent the past few days. He wasn't used to dealing with fallen angels, so he wasn't entirely familiar with their smell yet.

"My name's Raynare, by the way," the young woman said with a soft smile.

"Jeez and I thought Kalawarner was a weird name. Your name's Raynare?" Issei laughed at her.

She looked at him embarrassed, "What? It's not weird! It's an angel name!"

"Tell me you don't go around Japan telling people that your name is Raynare. That would be rather funny," Issei chuckled.

"Well, I do have an undercover name here…Yuuma," she said slowly with a bit of shame.

"That's a cute name. It kind of matches you," Issei laughed.

"It does? Wait…you think I'm cute?" she asked surprised.

"If I didn't know you were a fallen angel, I'd say so," Issei replied.

She frowned at him, "So me being a fallen angel makes me less attractive in your eyes?"

"Yes," Issei answered bluntly.

Raynare seemed a bit sad from his comment as she looked away, "Hmph…yeah that's nothing new I suppose. Everyone hates my kind…even dragons apparently."

"If I hated you, then you would be dead right now," Issei shook his head.

The fallen angel's self-esteem plummeted as she looked down, "Well for what it's worth, I think you're cute…dragon half-breed or not."

' _They must have seen my parents recently if she assumes I'm a half-breed_ ,' Issei deduced mentally.

Issei chose not to acknowledge her comment about finding him cute much to the fallen angel's disappointment.

Raynare looked at him for a moment before smiling, "Well…I guess it's safe to leave now, but I feel like I still owe you."

"Don't sweat it, Raynare. Just tell your people not to bother me," he replied distracted.

She looked away for a moment before speaking again, "You mind if I stay for a bit longer?"

"What are you scared of the big bad devils out there?" the dragon delinquent made fun of her.

Raynare looked at him pridefully, "Of course not! I just don't feel like going back to base yet."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to sleep in a church either," Issei joked causing her eyes to shoot open.

"You know where our base is?!" she said shocked.

"I mean where else could it be? That church is on your side of town and it's the only place I know where angels would bother putting up barriers," Issei deduced.

"Fair point…" she said trailing off. Raynare had no idea how to continue the conversation as Issei was now fully interested in Drag So-Ball Z.

Raynare stood up awkwardly and stared at him waiting for his answer on whether or not she could stay.

Finally, after a moment, Issei glanced over at her again, "Fine you can stay. Jeez…I can't believe you're so worried."

"I'm not worried...I...just don't feel like leaving yet. You know in case she comes back around," Raynare trailed off.

"Uhuh...whatever you say. You mind sitting down then if you're staying?" Issei said trying to look past her.

"What is this show you're watching?" Raynare asked confused as she sat back down and got more comfortable on the couch.

"Drag So-Ball Z…it's a badass anime about these martial artists with super powers that get stronger and fight aliens," Issei explained.

"It looks kind of interesting I suppose…" Raynare said half-heartedly.

"You don't have to watch it…but I got nothing better to do right now," Issei shrugged as he focused back on the TV. In truth he wanted to go see Red, but he couldn't tonight with all recent supernatural traffic around his home.

Several minutes passed before Raynare stealthily scooted closer to Issei on the couch. She spoke up after a few minutes of watching it with confusion, "So what's happening right now in this show? What are those golden balls?"

"They're trying to get the Drag So-Balls so they can summon the dragon and make a wish," Issei explained.

"Huh…a dragon that grants a wish?" she said curiously.

Issei nodded, "Well if anything could give someone a wish it's definitely a dragon."

Raynare said nothing else as she slowly began to gain interest in the anime.

 **Several hours later**

Issei and Raynare continued watching the show for hours despite Raynare's initial reservations. Issei found it almost amusing how into the plot she was starting to get.

Raynare shook her head in annoyance, "I can't believe these dumbass people keep wasting wishes on bringing their friends back to life. Why waste a wish on saving some half-ass friends that don't do anything relevant?"

"Yeah, I've always wondered that too…but the moral behind their actions is more along the lines of earning one's power and being selfless I guess. It's hard to really know what you would actually do in that situation. Wishing for a friend to come back is noble at least," Issei noted.

"Too bad those Drag So-Balls aren't real…I'd love to have a wish," she said slowly.

"What would you wish for?" Issei asked curiously as he glanced over at Raynare.

"Probably more power or invulnerability…I'm kind of weak for a fallen angel to be honest," she answered shamefully.

Issei sighed, "Yeah…but power is useless unless it has a purpose. Why would you want more power?"

"Powerful people have more status and relevance in this world…they don't have to worry about being afraid or answering to someone else. It seems almost liberating," she said distantly.

"It can be…but power without purpose won't really fill any voids in your life. The people at the very top are probably just bored," Issei replied.

Raynare frowned, "What would you wish for, Issei?"

' _What is it with people just casually addressing me by name these days? Uhh…_ ' Issei sighed.

He shook his head, "I don't know honestly…it's never really crossed my mind."

"You wouldn't wish for more power? There's nothing you would want?" she asked curiously.

"Nah…I wouldn't want to be more powerful unless I earned it myself. As for what I want? Well I can pretty much get anything I want if I worked at it, so why bother wishing for it?" he replied with a grin.

Raynare looked at him seriously for a moment, "I have a question, Issei…how strong are you? You don't really seem concerned about anything from what I can tell. You're not afraid of some Satan or Archangel coming after you or getting sealed in a sacred gear or something? You're not afraid of that Dragon King?"

"Not really, no." he answered.

"You must be really strong then…I envy you," she said distantly.

Issei shook his head, "You don't have to be super strong to not be afraid of something. Everything is a mindset, Raynare. You're limiting your own potential by placing these restrictions and labels on everything. Real power is willpower…you should remember that."

"GOKU HAS BECOME THE LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYAN! WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO STOP FRIEZA?! FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAG SO-BALL Z!" the television announced super loud before the end credits song started playing.

"I can't believe I've been watching this weird show for hours…but I really want to know how it ends now," Raynare said shaking her head as she looked at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah, it's pretty addicting after a while." Issei said nodding as the next episode was coming on.

"I'll watch one more…but I should probably leave soon," Raynare said as she leaned back again.

 **The next day**

Issei awoke the next day with a soft almost feathery feeling around him. _'Man…when did these pillows get so feathery? So soft…did mom and dad buy me new pillows?_ '

He brushed his hand through the feathery pillows before his hand ended up feeling something else…flesh.

' _What the? Is this…skin?_ ' he thought concerned.

His eyes shot open as he alertly surveyed his surroundings. To his sheer disbelief, Raynare was curled against him with her wings wrapped over them both. They were both on the couch and had apparently fallen asleep after marathoning Drag So-Ball Z all night.

The sleeping Raynare held onto him tighter as he shuffled upright. Her wings were fully out, and she looked slightly more curvaceous than he remembered. Her wings were incredibly soft and rather pleasant to the touch much to his surprise. He had always wondered what angel wings actually felt like.

Issei ran his hand over them feeling the feathery wings again. This caused the sleeping Raynare to moan in her sleep as she nuzzled her face against his chest.

After his initial grogginess wore off, Issei quickly shook the angel's shoulder, "Hey, Raynare, wake up!"

"Hmmm ughhh…what?" she said groggily as she opened her eyes.

"Oh…morning Issei? Did I fall asleep over here?" the fallen angel said surprised.

"What are you still doing here? What are you doing sleeping on me?" he asked seriously.

"Sorry…I guess I must have passed out last night," she apologized immediately as she sat up and uncurled herself from him.

He looked at the time, _'I guess I did too, or this would never have happened._ _6:00 A.M…I wonder when we fell asleep?_ '

"Well…thanks for letting me spend the night. Sorry for passing out on you," Raynare said as she retracted her black wings and got off the couch. There was no doubt about it now. She definitely looked a bit older than the other day.

It wasn't drastic or anything, but her bust and height were larger than he remembered.

"What?! A Magical Girl?! You won't stop me you little witch!" Issei heard a voice from the TV. It was still on, but it was playing some weird magical girl anime much to Issei's disinterest.

"Milky-hime! Save us!" a character on the anime shouted.

"Sparkle Shine, your command is mine!" a preteen magical girl shouted as she blasted some colorful magic at the ridiculously stereotypical villain.

"Is this a good show too, Issei?" Raynare asked as she turned to glance at the TV.

He shook his head, "Hell no…it's a magical girl show," he said standing up and grabbing his remote.

' _I'm glad that out of all mythologies, that magical girls aren't actually a thing. I mean there's witches and what not, but nothing this girly. Let me catch a magical girl trying to come into to my town_ ,' Issei thought to himself.

Raynare chuckled as she rubbed her head, "I had a dream about that stupid show we were watching last night."

"If it was so stupid then why did you stay all night and watch it with me?" Issei countered.

The fallen angel looked away embarrassed, "It was entertaining I guess. I haven't really done anything like this before."

"Which part? Watching anime all night or cocooning a guy on his couch with your wings?" Issei asked.

Raynare blushed at his question, "Both…anyway, thanks for the hospitality, Issei. I should probably go. You have school, today right?"

"Yeah, unfortunately…" he said drearily.

Before either one of them could say another word, Issei heard a loud knock on his front door.

"Who the hell is knocking on my door this early in the morning?" he said annoyed as he walked over and opened it.

Outside he saw a buxom woman with long blue hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a ridiculously short maroon skirt and a matching coat with a deep V-cut.

' _What is it with me seeing blue-haired girls lately?_ ' Issei thought as his gaze lingered on the buxom woman for a moment.

Issei looked over her briefly before speaking, "Nice outfit…did you get lost on your way to Soapland? Or is it my birthday?"

The woman gawked at him disbelievingly, "What?!"

"I mean hey, if you got a nice body, you might as well show it off I guess. How can I help, fallen angel?" Issei asked her as soon as the bird like smell filled his notrils.

The woman glared daggers at him, "Our companion came by here last night with an offer for you. She hasn't returned yet. Did you kill her? What was your answer?"

Before Issei could respond Raynare immediately ran to the front door, "Kalawarner?! What are you doing here?!"

"Raynare?! You're still here? Why didn't you report back? Dohnaseek and I thought you were dead," the blue-haired woman said seriously.

Raynare shook her head, "That Gremory bitch was snooping around here last night…I ended up hiding here with him."

"Really? That's…unusual. What was his answer?" Kalawarner asked as she looked at Issei intensely.

Several of Issei's neighbors noticed the sexy woman standing at his door. With his enhanced hearing he could hear one speak, "Is that the Hyoudou family's son with a prostitute? Those poor people…how do they deal with that shameful son of theirs?"

"Come inside…you stick out like a sore thumb around here," Issei said motioning for Kalawarner to come into his house.

The buxom blue-haired woman strutted in as Issei closed the door behind her.

She crossed her arms and eyed him seriously, "So…you let Raynare hide out here? I take it that means you're willing to help us?"

"I already told Raynare why Tiamat is here. She's after a dragon…after me. You two can go tell Azazel all about that. Tell him not to bother me while you're at it," Issei replied.

"Huh? You're a dragon then? I thought you were a human with a sacred gear," Kalawarner said curiously as she took a step closer.

"He's half-dragon," Raynare clarified.

"May I?" Kalawarner asked as she held up her hand.

Issei had no idea what she was asking permission for, but he quickly found out as the woman traced a finger around his arm.

A glow of holy magic briefly enveloped it before Issei's much stronger red draconic magic overpowered it and fizzled out.

"Hmm…a powerful one too," she remarked with fascination, "it's a wonder the devils haven't tried recruiting you yet. How are you able to freely move about in Gremory's territory without consequence?" Kalawarner asked.

"He can conceal power. He did it last night to me when that Gremory bitch came looking for me," Raynare explained.

Kalawarner looked over at Raynare again, "Lord Azazel will find this fascinating."

"I don't doubt that," Raynare agreed, "he's way stronger than I thought he was too."

"So, what did you two do all night then?" Kalawarner asked as she noticed one of Raynare's feathers was sticking out of Issei's shirt.

"Slept," Issei replied with a smartass answer.

"With each other apparently…" Kalawarner chuckled as she reached for the feather sticking out of Issei's shirt.

Raynare immediately blushed shamefully, "It's not what you think, Kalawarner…we just fell asleep watching this stupid show of his."

"Alright well, I have to get ready for school, so why don't you two see yourselves out. You got everything you needed from me," Issei said as he put his arms up and started lightly pushing them both towards the door.

"W-wait! I never properly repaid you for the help," Raynare protested as Issei easily pushed them towards the exit.

"Don't worry about it," he said as he opened the door for them to leave.

Raynare stood at the doorway for a moment before looking up at Issei, "Is it alright if I come back again sometime?"

"For what?" he asked.

"I just had a good time last night…" she replied.

Issei sighed, "I'll think about it."

"Thanks!" she said enthusiastically before briefly nuzzling her head on his shoulder and leaving.

Kalawarner gave him a curious look, "The Fallen Angels owe you for the intel. I'll make sure Azazel knows that you're trying to avoid trouble around here. I'm sure he'll respect your request. He's a good leader."

"That's good to know," Issei said curtly.

"Is it alright if we contact you again? You would only ever have to deal with Raynare or myself most likely. Maybe Dohnaseek or Mittelt too. The fallen angels will of course respect your autonomy, but you've proven yourself to be a valuable ally to us," Kalawarner said hopefully.

The brunette shrugged, "So long as you keep me out of the politics then I guess that's fine."

"We'll be in touch," the blue-haired angel said with a seductive grin before walking out of the house.

After they were gone, Issei went to take a shower. He mentally cursed himself as he thought over what he just agreed to, ' _I can already tell this is going to escalate into something way more than they're saying it is._ '

" _ **Don't stress over it too much partner. Sooner or later you're going to have to reveal yourself anyway. I only hope it's AFTER Tiamat gets bored of this place and leaves. She has a short attention span, so hopefully it won't be too much longer,"**_ Ddraig replied.

 **Kuoh Academy**

Issei pulled into school at his usual parking area and was surprised by the absence of Tiamat and Vali's motorcycles.

' _That's weird…I wonder why they're not here yet? I'm already late,_ ' he thought confused.

As he entered the school and made his way to his class, he could detect quite a few devils spying on him from various angles and vantage points.

' _Devils watching me? Five…six? I wonder whose servants they are_?' Issei thought as he pressed on towards his classroom.

Upon walking inside, his teacher immediately turned towards him annoyed, "Hyoudou-san, you're late again! Try to make it to class on time please!"

"Sure thing," he said half-heartedly as he sat down and immediately zoned out.

Vali and Tiamat were both absent today much to his concern. It's not that he missed their company necessarily, but the fact that they were gone gave him a weird feeling like something was wrong.

"Issei Hyoudou please report to the Student Council Room immediately." An announcement sounded over the school broadcast.

He snapped out of his daze when he heard the announcement, ' _Must be the president wanting to talk to me._ '

Without a word, he left his classroom and quickly made his way to the Student Council Room where he was met with none other than Sona Sitri.

The dark-haired devil princess adjusted her glassed briefly as Issei walked into the room, "Ah, Hyoudou-san, thank you for coming. I apologize for calling you out of class, but I wanted to talk to you in private and I can never seem to catch up to you after school."

"Why are the lights off in here?" Issei asked as he looked around the dark room. His senses told him that they were completely alone and that this room was soundproof.

Sona held up her hand, "Please have a seat, and make yourself comfortable."

Issei did as requested and sat down across from her. He crossed his arms and immediately put his feet up on her desk a moment later.

Sona chose to ignore his rude behavior and started speaking, "I'm sure you're probably wondering why I called you here."

"Yeah, your little blue haired friend said you would be contacting me soon," Issei replied.

"Blue haired friend?" Sona tilted her head uncertainly.

"Yeah the tall girl…kinda tomboyish. Blue hair, blue eyes…apparently one of yours," Issei clarified.

"You mean Tsubasa? She approached you? When was this?" Sona asked confused.

Issei cocked his head at her, "Yesterday after school. I thought you knew that. She said you sent her to tell me that you had something important to discuss."

"I never authorized her to approach you. In fact, I told all the members of my peerage to stay out of your way after you hurt Saji," Sona said surprised.

"Well I guess you'll have to ask her about that. Regardless, what do you want?" Issei got to the point.

"I'm sure you're well aware of this by now, but I am not human," Sona began.

"Shocker…" Issei said sarcastically.

Sona ignored his sarcasm and continued, "I am a high-class devil of the Sitri family and its heir. I and every member of my peerage are devils. We mostly consist of the school council and a few odd individuals around the school. The Occult Research Club is part of the Gremory peerage headed by Rias Gremory. You've no doubt seen her around school. She is the popular girl with the long red hair."

"Get to the point," Issei sighed in annoyance.

"Very well…I would like to ask you before anything else…what is your relationship with those new girls in this school?" Sona asked.

"Tiamat and Vali? I don't know, friends I guess? I barely know them so I'm not really sure if they're even that," he said doubtfully.

"Tiamat's presence here has caused a great deal of strife politically as of late. Lord Sirzechs is concerned and rightfully so," Sona continued.

"Cool I guess…what does that have to do with me?" he wondered.

"Listen, Hyoudou-san…I don't know what you are, and I've been very lenient in letting you do what you want around this school, but if I am to continue allowing you to stay here, then I feel I at least deserve a bit of trust on your part," Sona explained calmly and respectfully.

"Fine…" Issei agreed, "I suppose that's reasonable."

"I've thought over the situation many times and even discussed it with Rias. We believe that Tiamat came to this school looking for you. So far, you're the only one we've seen her speaking with other than that girl she came here with. I don't know what they want with you, but seeing as how Tiamat follows you around, I'm assuming you're a dragon. Am I correct?" Sona asked.

"Brains and beauty…good job detective," Issei said with a chuckle.

"Beauty? Are you implying that you find me attractive?" Sona asked stoically.

"What do you think? You're the genius here," Issei laughed.

Sona looked away somewhat surprised, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you, are you intending to finish high school at Kuoh Academy?"

"Of course, preferably without any trouble," he replied.

"That's good to know. Do you know anything about why Tiamat is here? What does she want with you?" Sona asked.

"She and Vali are here recruiting for something is all I know. I told them I wasn't interested and now we're just school friends I guess,' Issei shrugged.

"Do you have any allies?" Sona asked him curiously.

Issei shook his head, "Not really. I never needed any."

"Then I would like to make you an offer…would you be willing to-" Sona wasn't able to finish her sentence before Issei interrupted her.

"No thanks…I mean don't get me wrong. For a spoiled little devil princess, you aren't half bad, but I'm not interested in being anyone's servant," Issei stated strongly.

Sona sighed, "Well…that makes things more complicated. If I can't protect you, then you're fair game."

"Fair game? For who?" he asked.

"Lord Sirzechs is worried about the situation here and decided to send someone to keep an eye on the school until Tiamat leaves. I have no idea who it is or when they'll be here. So, it would benefit you to stay out of trouble for a while," Sona explained.

"Thanks for the warning," he replied as he stood up.

"Before you go, can I ask you a question?" Sona requested.

"Alright…what?" he said as he looked down at her.

Sona looked at him somewhat confused, "Is there a reason you're so opposed to joining my peerage other than not wanting to take orders? Do you have some inherit bias against devils?"

"What's the point? I'm half dragon and human. What do I gain joining your side or any side?" He countered.

"Power…influence…allies to name a few reasons. Eventually someone is going to target you if you're not careful. Without a political backing, you won't have any support," she responded sharply.

"I'll take my chances," was all Issei said before making his way to the exit.

He glanced back at her before opening the door, "By the way…tell that Gremory girl to stay away from my house."

Sona's eyes widened surprised before Issei closed the door and left.

After his little talk with Sona he decided to return to class despite not wanting to. The rest of the day progressed rather boringly, but at least nobody was bothering him.

 **End of the Day**

Issei let out a sigh of relief upon walking out of the school. He was getting so sick and tired of sitting around all day in classrooms.

' _Today would be an awesome day to go see Red. The big guy is probably wondering where I've been lately_ ,' Issei thought to himself as he got on his motorcycle and drove off.

With eager exhilaration, he drove as fast as he could back home. Unfortunately, he caught some bad traffic about two thirds of the way there.

A bunch of cars and other vehicles were backed up much to his anger. He growled angrily as he aggressively revved up his motorcycle, "Move it!"

Looking over towards the sidewalk, he could see a lot of people wearing cosplays walking in the direction where traffic was jammed. His eye twitched for a moment, ' _Is there a convention going on or something? Seriously what the fuck is this?!'_

Several seconds passed as he began to boil in anger, _'I…HATE…TRAFFIC!_ '

Without even a shred of concern for the consequences he immediately fired up his bike and drove onto the sidewalk bypassing the countless immobile cars in traffic.

The people on the sidewalk all gasped and screamed as he shot by them with deadly speed and aggression. His riding skills were masterful as he threaded the needle through the crowds of people on the sidewalk.

When he finally reached the main intersection where the convention was taking place he popped a wheelie and revved his bike as loud as possible causing flames to erupt from his exhaust. His arrival scared nearly everyone around him as he pulled right up to the front of the convention building and stopped to find out what it was.

' _Kuoh Anime Convention…huh? When did this town start having these_? _And why the hell is the traffic this bad?'_ Issei thought curiously as he began to calm down.

"Hey, are you going to the convention?!" a cute voice asked causing Issei to turn his head towards its source.

A girl with black pigtails and dark violet eyes ran across the street and was now was standing next to him. She was beaming with enthusiasm as if she was having an amazing day.

"I would have asked you for a ride if I knew you were coming here!" The girl said cheerfully, "I saw you ride by on the sidewalk! That was so cool!"

Issei immediately glared at her when he noticed she was wearing a magical girl cosplay. He revved his bike up at her hoping to scare the girl away, but much to his surprise she seemed unfazed.

"I'm not here for the convention, I'm trying to get home, but thanks to this stupid traffic I can't," he said annoyed.

' _Not unless I just want to fly out of here and leave my bike. Or risk being seen carrying it_ ,' he mentally added.

"Well that's a bummer...but if you're stuck here, why don't you just go to the convention?!" the girl suggested eagerly.

Issei glared at her, "I don't have a ticket, and I sure as hell won't be waiting in any lines."

"Well I'm here alone. My sister didn't want to come with me so I have an extra ticket. You want to go with me? You look like you're a lot of fun" she said as she generously held up a VIP ticket to the convention for him.

He stared at her for a moment. This girl was gorgeous despite being a magical girl wannabe, but something about her looked familiar to him. She also reeked of some weird smelling perfume much to his displeasure.

"I kind of have somewhere to be…" he said as he looked for an opening in traffic.

A huge crowd of people were watching him and this girl interact much to his discomfort. Issei detested people staring at him like this.

"Pleaaassse!" She pleaded.

' _Ughhh…it doesn't look like traffic is going to clear up until all these damn cosplayers get to the convention anyway. Plus, that is a VIP ticket it looks like. Aw screw it…I guess the Dimensional Gap can wait a few more hours_ ,' Issei contemplated.

With heavy reluctance, Issei got off his motorcycle and sighed, "I'll hang out for a little bit…only until the traffic clears though."

"Yay!" the girl cheered with excitement as she waved her cosplay wand around, "Sparkle Shine, your command is mine!"

Issei immediately felt embarrassed as dozens of people in the crowd cheered and were taking pictures of her and him by default. Thankfully, most of them seemed too afraid to get closer due to her proximity to the delinquent biker.

Issei rolled his eyes at her as she handed him her spare VIP ticket. The moment he had it, he immediately started walking away from her and made his way to the front of the line.

Hordes of jealous onlookers watched with disbelief as the asshole who just showed up on a motorcycle was now skipping the line to go straight into the convention.

"Hey, wait for me!" the pigtail magic girl called out to Issei as she chased behind him.

The males in the crowd seemed to be burning with even more envy at the sight of Issei not only skipping the line, but also having the sexiest cosplayer there following him around.

"Who the fuck is that pretty boy douche? Who does he think he is? Why is that beautiful magical girl following a punk like that?" Issei heard one angry guy mutter.

"Milky-hime, can we have a picture!" an otaku man cried out anxiously.

"You look so amazing!" another shouted.

The girl kindly waved to the onlookers and briefly posed before following behind Issei. As the two of them passed inside, they quickly noticed that the convention was packed.

The pigtail girl's eyes lit up with excitement as she pointed at something, "Look, look! They have Milky Spiral Seven figurines. C'mon let's go look at them!"

Before Issei could protest, the overly excited girl grabbed his hand and drug him over towards a section on the convention floor that seemed to be selling things that matched the anime she was cosplaying.

Everyone within a two-hundred-meter radius was staring at them as if they were celebrities. Issei was starting to feel somewhat awkward as random people kept walking up and asking for pictures of the girl.

' _I should ditch this chick, and go see the Drag So-Ball Z section…_ ' Issei thought as he slipped into the background of the ravenous crowd that were now swarming the girl for pictures.

About fifteen minutes passed before Issei found stuff that was more up his alley. He looked over the new area for a moment, ' _I should have plenty of money, but I don't feel like hauling a ton of stuff back home. Huh…that banner would look really good in the garage next to my toolbox.'_

"There you are!" a loud and excited voice announced as Issei felt someone jump on his back.

"What the!?" he said confused before realizing it was the black pigtail girl again.

"Why'd you leave me?! I was so sad when I couldn't find you," she said in a cutesy dramatic way.

The crowd of desperate fanboys and fangirls that were following her immediately froze up when Issei turned around.

"Is that her boyfriend?! I'm so jealous!" some overly animated man cried out.

"Milky-hime, can we take a picture?!"

"Milky-hime!" people kept calling out to the girl.

Issei was now pissed off that these people wouldn't go away and growled, "Back off right now!"

The surrounding area went deathly silent as the crowd of people chasing after the girl on Issei's back were now scared.

Issei cracked his fists and took a deep breath, "Get lost! She's taken enough god damn pictures for you! The only way she's posing for another picture is if you go through me!"

Nobody dared to tempt Issei's fury as the crowd scattered like roaches in all directions. Despite her kind disposition towards the fans in general, the pigtail girl seemed somewhat relieved that Issei had sent them away.

"Are you going to get off me or what?" Issei asked as he turned his head back and looked at the girl still on his back.

She beamed and shook her head, "No! I don't want to lose you again in here! Especially if you're going to protect me!"

"Why are you still hanging out with me anyway?" he asked her confused.

"Becauuuuuuse I think you're cool!" she said as she held onto him even tighter.

"The feeling is not mutual," he said shaking his head.

"AWWW you're so mean!" she said with over-exaggeration.

' _Man, that perfume she's wearing is overpowering this close_ ,' Issei thought distracted.

"OOOOh, is that Drag So-Ball Z? We should go check that out!" she pointed to a nearby stand.

Issei looked back at her surprised, "You like Drag So-Ball Z?"

"Who doesn't?" she countered beaming with excitement.

' _Well…maybe she's not as bad as I originally thought_ ,' Issei noted as the two of them went over to check out more merchandise.

Before he knew it, the two of them were having a blast going around and buying random things they didn't need. After about an hour of that, the girl insisted that they go to a few panels, and before Issei realized where the time went, he ended up spending the rest of the day there.

It was only when the convention was closing for the day did he actually realize the time. Upon walking outside and seeing the nighttime sky, Issei shook his head disbelievingly, "I can't believe I spent the whole afternoon here."

"That WAS SO FUUUUUN!" the girl emphasized each word louder and louder as she latched onto his arm while they were walking out.

"Yeah…I actually had a good time…surprisingly," Issei said almost not believing his own words.

 _'Did I seriously just hang out with some weirdo otaku magical girl all afternoon? This has been the weird week ever..._ ' Issei thought to himself.

"I never get to do that many things at conventions because everyone always just wants to take pictures of me. Going with you was a great idea! You scared everyone away with your mean, grumpy face!" she giggled.

"Well…thanks for the ticket, Milky-hime. This was a somewhat pleasant surprise," Issei said more sincerely that he expected to.

"Oh! I never told you my name, did I?" the girl asked shocked as she placed a hand on her chin.

"Come to think of it…I was so excited all day I never bothered asking your name either," the girl said as she looked at him anxiously.

"Issei Hyoudou…don't bother remembering it. We'll probably never see each other again," he replied skeptically.

"But what if I want to see you again?!" she asked childishly.

Issei simply laughed at her antics. By this point he was almost used to her energetic innocence.

"I'm Serafall!" she said smiling at his reaction.

He looked at her curiously, "No surname?"

"You and I are on a first name basis! Call me Serafall and I'll call you Issei-chan, K?!" she chirped.

"Okay…nice meeting you then, Serafall," Issei waved as he headed to his motorcycle.

Issei was amazed it didn't get towed and shook his head, ' _Damn I'm lucky._ '

As he mounted his souvenir bags and got on his motorcycle, he looked up and saw Serafall standing right next to him. She shuffled around for a moment and was staring at him.

"Issei-chan…can I go for a ride on your bike? Pleeease!" she said hopefully.

"Don't you have to go home or something?" he asked confused.

"Yeah…but maybe you could give me a ride!?" she asked with a suggestive smile.

Issei sighed, "I'm going to lose all my street cred if people see some otaku magic girl riding with me."

The girl gave him the most moe look she could muster as she locked her fingers, "Issei-chan…don't make me beg you!"

"Alright fine…get on," he said. Half a second a later the energetic Serafall was on his backseat. She tied her bags on the back of the bike and immediately wrapped her arms around Issei's waist.

"C'mon, let's go fast!" she said happily.

"Are you sure you can handle it? This thing is the fastest motorcycle in the world…custom built," Issei replied.

"GO GO GO!" she cheered causing Issei to take that as a yes.

Deciding to test the limits of this girls resolve, he started to drive recklessly and dangerously at high speed through the city.

' _I'll take her over the bridge…_ ' Issei chuckled to himself as he came up to a large bridge with arches over it.

He drove off the road and onto the arch before climbing high on the beam above the bridge. Once he got higher, he popped a wheelie. He half expected this girl to freak out or scream, but surprisingly she seemed overjoyed at his daredevil stunt.

"Still think I can't handle it?" Serafall asked as she spread her arms out and enjoyed the view from the bridge arch.

"We're about to find out…" Issei grinned as he pressed a switch in front of him causing a jettison of flames to spew out of the exhaust. Serafall immediately grabbed his waist again as the bike shot forward even faster.

Issei drove as fast as possible until reaching the top of the bridge arch before launching off the side.

His motorcycle flew a considerable distance through the air before landing on top of a parking garage nearby. Serafall let out a shriek of joy the entire way, "WOOOOOOOHHHOOOOO!"

Upon landing, and slowing down, he glanced back to check on her. She looked like she was super happy and wasn't afraid at all. Issei was genuinely impressed by her resolve and laughed, "You're the first girl I've ever taken on that stunt. I'm shocked you didn't scream or cry."

"Are you kidding me?! That was amazing! You're amazing!" She said smiling.

' _I never thought I'd meet a nice human girl who liked Drag So-Ball Z and going on daredevil motorcycle rides. She's a fucking gem. If she wasn't a magical girl she'd totally be my type_ ,' Issei thought as he stared at her.

"So, where do you live, Serafall? I should probably take you back now. It's getting late," Issei said shaking off his distraction.

"Oh, I live at this little house with some nice people hosting my stay. It's close to Kuoh Academy. Down third street," she replied.

Issei nodded before driving down the parking garage and making his way towards the location specified. As they pulled up to a red light, Issei glanced back at her for a moment, "Serafall is kind of a strange name? Are you an international or something?"

"Something like that. My sister lives here, so I came to take care of her for a while," Serafall explained.

"That's good of you I guess," Issei replied as the light turned green.

After driving for a bit longer, he finally reached her street. She pointed at a massive house, "There, that little house is where I stay!"

Issei stared at it, _'Little house? This is where all the rich people in this town live. Actually isn't this devil territory? That's unfortunate for her. Hopefully they don't do anything to her while she's here._ '

Upon dropping Serafall off, Issei was surprised when she hugged him, "Today was really fun Issei-chan! We need to hang out again real soon okay?!"

"Sure thing…" he said as he locked a brief gaze with her. She smiled as she hugged him, "Oh by the way, do you have a cell phone? I want your email."

"Uhh, yeah. Here," Issei took his phone out. His was red and hers was pink unsurprisingly.

After they exchanged emails Serafall picked up her bags and stood there for a moment uncertainly.

"We can do this, again right?" she asked hopefully.

"I'd be down for that," Issei nodded approvingly.

"Sparkle shine, your command is mine! See you around Issei-chan!" she cheered before said dragon drove away.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright kids, there's chapter 2 for you. I hope you enjoyed it.

A lot of crazy stuff happened this chapter. I introduced some characters that you guys probably weren't expecting to see as well. I know it seems a bit Slice of Life right now, but the action is going to ramp up soon now that more and more people are finding out that Issei is a dragon.

I like to focus on characterization whenever I can, so forgive me if it gets a bit boring in these early chapters. I made a lot of fun references in this chapter. Props to you if you noticed any or all of them.

In case you might have missed a few, I'll talk about some of them here. Soapland is a slang term for the red-light district in Japan. Issei was essentially telling Kalawarner she dressed like a hooker in that scene. Drag So-Ball is a parody of Dragonball that is referenced in the canon of Highschool DXD. It's pretty obscure in the show, so I won't be surprised if a lot of people didn't get that scene.

So, I'm sure a lot of you weren't expecting Serafall to show up. Before anyone asks, no she doesn't know who Issei is yet. She literally just got there. Issei has taken a liking to her though. How will he feel when he learns she's a Satan? That's the spicy drama you people crave…

Stay tuned if you want more…and thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Request**

Issei awoke the next day to the sound of his alarm clock yelling at him, "Baka! Wake up! It's not like I care if you're late or anything, but if you're late, I'll be late too! Baka! Wake up!"

He looked at his clock groggily, ' _Ughhh…7:15 a.m. I remember how nice it was to sleep in till 10 when I wasn't actually going to school._ '

He immediately hit the button on his alarm to silence it. He briefly chuckled at it and wondered just how many different girls it had to cycle through. Issei purchased this particular alarm clock at the convention the other day after being told of its twenty-four unique wake-up alarms. This first one appeared to be Tsundere much to his amusement.

His mind briefly lingered on the convention from yesterday and the unexpected joyride afterward. ' _I can't believe I took a magic girl on my bike like that. What a crazy twist of fate. If somebody would have told me earlier that day that I'd be hanging out with a magical girl at a convention, I'd kick their ass_.'

Issei yawned as he got out of bed and quickly got ready for the day. He heard his phone vibrate briefly as he was getting ready and casually walked over to see what it was.

' _I'll bet it is mom and dad telling me they made it safely to Europe_ ,' Issei thought to himself as he checked his phone.

His eyes widened shortly afterward when he saw what it was, _'11 unread messages…what the hell?!_ '

He immediately realized they were not from his parents, but all from a single individual.

 _8:03 p.m. [Hey, Issei-chan, this is Sera-chan!]_

 _8:10 p.m. [I just thought I'd say thanks again for spending the day with me! It was so much fun! I can't wait to see you again!]_

 _8:12 p.m. [I'm so excited that I can't stop pacing! That ride you gave me has my heart racing still!]_

 _8:16 p.m. [Sorry for imposing earlier, but I'm so happy you drove me home! It means a lot to me that I was the first girl you ever took on that bridge stunt you did.]_

 _8:20 p.m. [By the way, we should really go and see the new Milky Spiral Seven movie sometime K?!]_

 _8:28 p.m. [What are you doing tomorrow? I'm free all day tomorrow! Also, do you go to Kuoh Academy? Your uniform looked familiar to me.]_

 _9:01 p.m. [Issei-chan?! You there?! I'm guessing you must be sleeping! Goodnight, Issei-chan!]_

 _12:07 a.m. [I can't sleep right now. You awake?]_

 _1:14 a.m. [So what do you think about seeing the new Milky Spiral Seven movie? I'm so anxious to hear your answer! It will be fun, I swear!]_

 _7:06 a.m. [I'm guessing you don't check your phone much huh? Please reply as soon as you can! I feel like you're ignoring me.]_

 _7:16 a.m. [If you didn't want to see the new Milky Spiral Seven movie, we could do something else? Anything you want to do, just tell me and I'm in!]_

Every single one of her messages was filled with emojis and other cutesy icons ranging from winky faces to over-dramatic smiles and frowns.

Issei shook his head in disbelief, ' _What the hell have I gotten myself into? I haven't even known this chick 24 hours and she's already blowing my phone up with messages? Damn…I guess I should reply to her before she goes off the deep end._ '

Issei texted a message on his phone to her, _[Hey, Serafall, I definitely got your messages…all 11 of them. Sorry you couldn't sleep. I know the adrenaline of riding can keep me awake sometimes too.]_

He immediately got a text back not even thirty seconds after sending his _, [ISSEI-CHAN! YOU REPLIED!? YAY! Good Morning! So, are you busy today?! Please tell me soon! The anticipation is killing me!]_

' _Holy hell this girl is over-dramatic. I've never met someone this excited to hang out with me,_ ' Issei thought shaking his head.

He reluctantly texted her back _, [Well it is Friday…I suppose I'm free this weekend. I'm not particularly interested in seeing that movie, but we can hang out later I guess.]_

 _[Please! I really want to go see that movie!]_ Serafall messaged back.

 _[Then go see it without me.]_ He messaged back.

 _[It won't be as fun without you. Please please go with me. I don't want to go by myself. My sister is being mean to me and already refused to go.]_ Serafall's message came back almost instantly.

 _[Alright fine…I don't know why you're so adamant about seeing it with me though.]_ he responded.

 _[You're the only person I know in this town, and you'll keep me safe from all the stalkers.]_ she shot back.

He sighed _, [What am I, your bodyguard?]_

 _[Maybe…]_ she replied with a winky face emoji.

 _[I'll pick you up at six at your house]_ he texted back with a sigh.

 _[No! I'd prefer you not come by my house. My sister goes to your school and is a bit of a control freak. She probably wouldn't like me hanging out with one of her classmates. Pick me up at the bus stop. There's a super amazing mall right next to the movie theater too! I already bought us tickets for the movie. We should get there by 9! Can't wait to see you tonight!]_ she texted back with more winky and smiley face emojis.

' _She already bought the tickets before I even agreed to this? This girl's a wackjob…at least she's a hot wackjob. Wait…her sister goes to Kuoh? How old is Serafall?! I should probably ask her when I see her later_ ,' Issei thought as he put his phone away and went to school.

 **Kuoh Academy**

Issei drove up to school receiving the usual looks of fear or admiration from the onlookers. As he parked his bike, he noticed Vali and Tiamat were both there.

Vali glanced at him and laughed, "Ten till…you're early today."

The brunette shrugged at Vali's remark as he made his way towards the school entrance. Both Vali and Tiamat followed behind him shortly afterward.

The light blue-haired dragon jabbed Issei with her elbow as she caught up with him, "Nothing to say today? You're not mad we weren't here yesterday were you?"

"Nah, yesterday was a pretty laid-back day," Issei said distantly as he recalled all the strange events that happened.

Tiamat didn't seem to like his reply as she scoffed at him, "Yeah right…don't even lie. You were bored senseless sitting around all these weak people and uptight devils, weren't you? I mean, hey, what kind of a dragon wouldn't find this place boring?"

"You're right, Tiamat, I missed you greatly yesterday. I doodled your name with hearts and longingly stared out the window waiting for your return," Issei replied sarcastically.

Tiamat rewarded his commend with a rough punch. The usual onlookers seemed surprised that she would punch Issei, but were even more surprised when Issei didn't retaliate.

He glanced over at her annoyed, "Don't do that again."

She gave him a cocky smirk, "Or what? You wanna fight me, Issei? Because I'd rather like that."

' _ **She's going to keep doing this until you prove yourself to her. You already challenged her the other day with that stare. This is a bad situation…'**_ Ddraig commented psychically to Issei as the delinquent glared at Tiamat.

' _Damn Ddraig, you're right. She's really got me in a pinch here. If I retaliate, I reveal that I'm stronger than they think, but if I let her do shit like this, I'm her bitch._ ' Issei thought annoyed.

' _ **You could probably use some of your other dragon powers and still keep the sacred gear and me a secret. Granted Tiamat is very powerful, so I would not suggest giving her a reason to go all out. Just enough to prove that you're strong,'**_ Ddraig suggested.

' _Good idea,_ ' Issei thought as he walked into the building with Vali and Tiamat.

Tiamat stepped in front of him shortly after they entered, and stopped Issei from walking forward, "I didn't hear your answer yet, Issei…do you want to try me?"

"Back off, Tiamat…we don't need this kind of attention at school. You can settle this shit later," Vali said quietly as a large crowd of people stopped to see why Issei and Tiamat were staring each other down.

She laughed and placed her hands behind her head, "Oh, if you insist, Vali…I'll see you two in class. I'm gonna go buy a snack. You want anything?"

"Whatever you get me is fine," Vali replied.

Tiamat glanced at Issei afterward, "You want something too?"

"I don't really care," Issei shrugged.

"I know what to get you," Tiamat said with a smirk before walking off and leaving Issei and Vali at the entrance.

After Tiamat walked off, Vali glanced at Issei and sighed, "She's got it in her head that you're very powerful, and you know how dragons are when they hear someone is powerful. I'm not saying you have to fight her, but you should probably avoid provoking her if you can. Tiamat is a still a bit annoyed that you won't join us."

"Thanks for the heads up," Issei replied as he and Vali walked up the stairs towards class. As they ascended the stairs, a large group of devils passed by them on the left side going down. Issei and Vali both looked over seeing Sona and her entire peerage along with the Gremory girl and several of hers.

Every single one of the devils looked over at Issei and Vali without very much subtlety. It could best be described as a wave of heads turning. Issei recognized a few of the passing peerage devils including the blonde guy, Kiba, the blue-haired girl Tsubasa, and of course Saji. He didn't really know any of the other ones or remember them.

Tsubasa nervously looked down the moment Issei made eye contact with her. Kiba was actually nice enough to wave at Issei, but Saji sent him a predictable glare. Several of the others had various looks of curiosity. The most notable among them was the white-haired freshman with yellow eyes. She stared at Issei and Vali intensely and sniffed several times.

Vali rolled her eyes at them and sneered as she practically stuck her nose up at the devils. Vali briefly stopped and nudged Issei, "Look at all that royalty, Issei. Haha,"

He didn't say anything as he simply kept walking up the stairs. Vali's gaze briefly lingered on the devils for a moment before she turned and followed behind the delinquent dragon. Some of the devils seemed triggered by Vali's smug look and stopped on the stairs as the duo kept walking.

After Issei and Vali were gone, Akeno closed her eyes and spoke passively with a smile, "She seems like a bitch."

Rias turned towards Sona confused, "Who is that girl? Is she a dragon too? She's the one that came here with Tiamat-sama, right?"

Sona shook her head, "I don't know very much about her, but from what I've seen, Tiamat-sama is usually always with her. She doesn't really seem like a dragon…but that silver hair of hers is very familiar looking."

"She smells like a devil to me. Hyoudou doesn't smell like anything though. I find it strange that he's a dragon without a scent…they're really hard to miss," Koneko piped up with a stoic tone.

"Hmm, she is a devil? Why did she look at us like that then? Doesn't she recognize Rias or Sona?" Akeno asked curiously.

"She called us royalty…I'd wager she did," Rias said annoyed.

"I don't know who that girl is, but she must to powerful if Tiamat-sama and Hyoudou-san are associating with her," Tsubaki cut into the conversation.

Sona looked at her queen and nodded in agreement, "You make a good point, Tsubaki. If that girl is a devil, she's certainly a high-class devil. No dragon would follow a devil they thought was weak…especially two of them. If that's not a clear indicator of her being suspicious, that girl certainly didn't think much of us either. That is troubling indeed if she knows who we are."

"She might be associated with a house we don't know about," Tsubaki shook her head.

"Silver-grey hair is only really common among one devil clan…Grayfia's," Rias cut in with a serious expression.

Sona adjusted her glasses and gave Rias a serious look, "Silver hair…high-class devil…unknown to the current heiresses of the Gremory and Sitri Clans…I don't think that girl is one of ours. She practically sneered at us too."

"How can we be sure she's a high-class devil though?" Kiba asked curiously.

Rias shook her head, "We can't…but I'm willing to bet on it."

"Who do you think she is, Sona?" Tsubaki asked seriously.

"I'm probably jumping to conclusions here, but I don't think she's part of the Anti-Satan Faction. She might be one of the Old Satan Faction's surviving high-class devils. That is assuming she is part of the Lucifuge Clan," Sona stated seriously.

"Wait, what?" Tsubaki gasped.

"What on earth would Tiamat be doing associating with a member of the Old Satan Faction? She's technically on good terms with the Maou last I heard," Rias said shaking her head.

"I'm not sure, but that makes Tiamat's presence here all the more serious now," Sona said as she adjusted her glasses again.

Rias frowned, "You said my brother was sending someone to keep an eye on the situation here. Who did he send? Grayfia? Any word on that yet? Grayfia would definitely be able to tell us if that girl is one of theirs."

"Unfortunately, out of all the good options he had, Sirzechs-sama sent my sister, Serafall. She got here yesterday. She's in the city if anything serious requires intervention, but thankfully your brother told her to stay away from the school so that she wouldn't provoke a conflict," Sona answered.

"Leviathan-sama is here?" Rias said surprised.

Sona nodded, "Sadly…I would have preferred Beelzebub-sama to come. He's the one who actually knows Tiamat-sama out of all the Maou from what I've heard. Grayfia-san would have been useful as well. My sister is powerful, but she lacks restraint or diplomacy skills. She probably would have destroyed this whole city if that Vali girl looked at her like she did to us."

"I suppose if things were dire, Ajuka-sama would have come. I'm sure your sister's presence is simply a precaution. You know Sirzechs would never allow me to be in harm's way," Rias sighed in annoyance.

"Still…we should watch that rogue devil girl. She's looks like she's more trouble than either one of the dragons. She certainly doesn't like us," Sona stated strongly.

"I agree…I also don't like the idea of her being friends with Hyoudou-san. How powerful is he exactly? Did he say what they wanted from him?" Rias asked.

Sona sighed, "I have no idea how powerful he is, but he says he's half dragon and doesn't fear being rogue. I'm assuming he's at least as strong as you and me."

"You really think he's that strong?" Rias asked surprised.

"If he's not, then he's fearless at the very least," Sona noted.

"I'm going to ask Grayfia to investigate that Vali girl. If she is a part of the Old Satan Faction, then it's imperative that we find out as soon as possible," Rias said seriously.

"Let me know if she discovers anything relevant," Sona stated before walking away with her peerage.

 **Lunchtime**

Issei was sitting on the rooftop eating lunch with a careless distant expression on his face.

His mind kept wandering to the thought of his date after school. _'Is it a date? I mean she seems to like me, but I feel like she's one of those girls that doesn't really understand romance. She's too childish and weird to really know what a date is. Hmph…no it's not a date. We're just going to watch some corny ass magical girl movie, and she'll say some girly stuff after I drive her back, and that'll be the end of that. Why'd I give her my email? I mean she's really pretty and kind of cool, but is she really girlfriend material? Even if she is...do I really want to get her involved in all this devil and angel nonsense?_ '

"Hey, Issei, I want to show you something," the delinquent heard before a powerful fist collided with his face.

He was immediately ripped from his dazed thoughts and jumped up alertly. He saw an amused Tiamat standing in front of him with a deadly grin.

"I just punched you again…what are you going to do about it?" she asked tauntingly.

Nobody else was on the rooftop, and Vali was nowhere to be seen for some reason. He had been expecting them to show up at some point, but was surprised to only see Tiamat.

Tiamat noticed his looking around and laughed, "Vali's not here to protect you, Issei…you and I are going to settle this dispute right now!"

"What the fuck is your problem?" he asked angrily.

"You're the one who started this. Looking at me like you think you can take me on. Why don't you prove it to me tough guy?" she hissed as she swung her arm in for a swift jab.

Issei immediately evaded her attack with his heightened reflexes and dodged all of her follow-up attacks with calm agile movements.

"Quit dancing around me, bitch! Fight me, Issei!" Tiamat hissed again as she tackled him as hard as she could.

Issei caught her mid tackle and immediately threw her to the ground on her back. He cracked his knuckles and neck as she aggressively stood back up.

She seemed excited by his retaliation, "About fucking time you did something! And here I thought you were too scared to hit a girl."

Before she could do anything else, Issei grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the ground. She seemed surprised by his strength, but pleased at his actions.

She didn't struggle under his grip and looked up at him from her back, "You're stronger in this form of yours than I thought…impressive."

"If you're trying to piss me off, you're doing a great job," Issei growled at her.

Tiamat grinned at him, "Oh I'm trying. How's about you quit pretending like you're some nobody and tell me how strong you really are?"

"If it'll make you fuck off, then fine…" Issei said annoyed as he got off her and stood back up.

Tiamat stared at him eagerly as Issei's body glowed red briefly. His eyes dilated and flashed into a golden green color before two red wings came out of his back. They were not his sacred gear's wings, but instead the extra pair he had acquired from Red. His nails shaped into claws and fangs came out of his mouth a moment later.

Tiamat watched his transformation with a wide grin, "Amazing aura…I'm surprised you're able to keep that hidden all the time. I'm even more surprised that you would."

Issei stared her down, "Is this enough to satisfy you?"

"For now, I suppose. I won't make you actually fight me at school. Maybe some other time," Tiamat said coolly.

Issei wasted no time immediately reverting back to his normal form and concealing his aura again after hearing her answer. He thankfully kept his power heavily suppressed during his showcase to Tiamat, or every devil and angel within the city limits would have sensed his power.

The little bit that he did show was thankfully enough to calm Tiamat down. She brushed up closely to him once he was back to normal, "I'd show you mine, but I don't want to scare the devils into sending an army here."

"Such a shame…" Issei replied sarcastically.

"I can give you something though," she said wickedly.

"What's that?" Issei asked cautiously.

A moment later Tiamat moved her face really close to his. ' _Is she going to kiss me or something?_ ' Issei thought disbelievingly.

Tiamat grabbed Issei's face, pulled open his mouth, and breathed a light amount of blue flames down his throat.

Issei had no idea what she was trying to do and stared at her confused as she backed off with a malicious smile.

"Take that as my apology for being aggressive to you, Issei…" she said calmly.

"What the hell was that?" he asked confused.

"Oh? You don't know what I just did? Hahahaha, oh that's precious…you sure you're a dragon?" she laughed at his confusion.

Issei gave her a sharp look before rolling his eyes, "Whatever, I don't care anyway."

"When you figure it out, let me know, and we'll go from there," she practically giggled at his ignorance.

' _Ddraig what did she just do to me? What was that? Ddraig? Say something partner,'_ Issei spoke to the Welsh Dragon.

Ddraig replied after a long silence, _ **'It was nothing…she's just trying to piss you off again. Don't worry about it.'**_

Issei sat down again and continued to eat his lunch. Tiamat sat next to him a moment later and sighed, "Vali's got some meeting with her family again. Thankfully I didn't have to go this time."

"Her family? Are they a part of the Khaos Brigade too?" Issei asked.

Tiamat shrugged, "Yeah, some of them are I think. A lot of the Old Satan Faction is a part of the Khaos Brigade actually."

"Why? Speaking of that, why are you even aligned with devils? Aren't dragon kings supposed to be super powerful beings?" Issei asked.

"Slow down there, Issei…let me explain. The Five Great Dragon Kings are indeed mighty, but we're not invincible. A high-class Satan devil is still a match for a Dragon King…and there's a lot of powerful devils in the underworld. I try to stay on their good side…if only to avoid being put into some sacred gear or get sealed away somewhere. Too many of our brethren were subjected to that fate, unfortunately. There's not that many of us left, so it does no good to our species for me to be reckless," Tiamat sighed.

"Well, you should know they're super concerned about you being at this school. One of those devil princesses even asked me why you and Vali were here. That seems kind of reckless to me…not that I care," Issei told her.

Tiamat shrugged, "I'll bet they did. Spoiled little bitches are probably mad they can't just force me out of their territory without starting a major fight. I never much cared for the current Maou and all their pompous siblings and heirs. The Astaroth Clan is okay, but I am not a fan of the Gremory or Sitri houses. They've probably already told big brother Sirzechs that I'm here."

"So, you're on good terms with the ruling devil clans, but you're also part of a faction that opposes them?" Issei asked confused.

"I've only recently shed my need to stay in their good graces. With Vali and Ophis supporting me, I don't really have to do what Ajuka or any of the Maous tell me to now," Tiamat said distantly.

"Vali must be really strong if you're willing to follow her over the Maou," Issei noted.

Tiamat nodded, "She is…Vali could honestly be a Satan if she really wanted."

"So, what is it you want then? Are you simply part of the Khaos Brigade just because Ophis is in charge of it and your tired of being a devil's pet?" Issei asked.

Tiamat shrugged, "Something like that…Vali recruited me and made a promise to help me with a personal issue of mine. I didn't believe her at first until…"

Issei looked at her confused, "Until what?"

"Ahaha…nothing. Vali just surprised me is all. When I found out her faction supported Ophis, I decided it was worth following over the current Maou," Tiamat said distantly.

"Something's been bothering me lately. What does Ophis want, and why is she leading this faction of yours? She seems like the last being that would care to get involved in a conflict like this," Issei asked seriously.

The blue haired dragon sighed, "Didn't you ask us this already? Ophis is difficult to understand…that's something you should ask her yourself. Considering she knew of your existence here, I'm positive she'll tell you herself at some point."

"How long do you and Vali plan on going to school here? Is your recruiting going alright?" Issei asked.

The dragon shrugged, "Hard to say…politics are slow and boring. We don't really have anything else to do right now other than recruit people, and you're the only one we've found worth anything."

"I'm honored…but I'm still not joining you," he replied dryly.

"That's okay…we're also staying in this town for another reason," Tiamat said seriously.

"What reason might that be?" Issei asked.

Tiamat shook her head, "I can't tell you everything, Issei…not unless you're actually one of us. Nothing personal."

"Fair enough," he sighed.

A moment later the bell rang catching both of their attentions.

Issei stood up, "Well I'm going back to class. You coming?"

"I'll be right there," Tiamat replied as Issei walked back inside and down the stairs.

 **Later that day**

Issei was finally through the long and arduous school day and was somewhat looking forward to seeing Serafall. As he and Tiamat walked down the stairs together, they were blocked when a devil stepped in front of them.

Much to Issei's surprise, it was Saji. He seemed less angry and more serious as if he had something to say.

Tiamat looked at him and then at Issei before shaking her head.

Issei crossed his arms, "You need something?"

"Can I talk to you…in private?" he asked somewhat respectfully.

Tiamat scoffed at him and simply walked past, "I'll see you around, Issei…have a good weekend. I might drop in on you at some point."

"Later, Tiamat," Issei replied waving at her.

After she was gone, Issei looked back at Saji with a serious face, "You want to talk to me in private? What the hell could you possibly have to say to me?"

"Look man…please?" he asked again before looking around at the curious students who wondered what Saji was talking to Issei for.

The Sekiryuutei sighed, "Alright fine…lead the way."

Saji immediately led Issei outside and to a more secluded area before turning around. The devil stared at him with strong, determined eyes.

"What do you want?" Issei asked already annoyed.

"First off to apologize about the other day. I just get a bit fired up when it comes to the President. She's a really good person and doesn't deserve to be disrespected," Saji began.

Issei crossed his arms again, "Respect is not some inherent right you're born with…it's something that has to be earned. But regardless…I hold no ill will towards her."

"She told me she tried to recruit you into our peerage. I'm not surprised you said no…but honestly I doubt you would have been able to join it anyway," he continued.

"Why is that?" Issei asked.

"Her peerage is pretty much full except for her pawns. There's eight total evil pieces for pawns in a high-class devil's peerage. I took up four of them…and considering you're way stronger than me, the other four wouldn't have been enough to make you a devil," Saji explained thoroughly.

"Is there a point to this?" Issei asked as he checked the time.

Saji nodded, "Yeah there is…I heard you're a dragon. I just wanted to ask if you would train me."

Issei deadpanned at him, "What?"

"Look man, this is shameful for me alright? But I don't really know who else to ask. My sacred gear has a dragon in it, and I figured you could at least help me out a little bit, you know…seeing as how you're a dragon too," Saji said almost embarrassed.

Issei shrugged, "Look even if I could help you, which I probably can't, why would I want to? What do I gain from training some devil how to use his dragon sacred gear?"

Saji frowned at Issei's lack of interest, "It wouldn't be anything crazy or long-term. Just like a few hours one day. I just…I really want to get stronger and I don't know how. I figured it was a waste of time asking you, but I at least thought I'd try."

"What's your reason for getting stronger?" Issei asked. His question caused Saji to perk up anxiously.

"I want to be able to protect Kaichou and the others…I want to be more than just her devil servant one day. I want them all to see me as someone worthy of the Sitri name," he replied.

Issei rolled his eyes at the answer, "Why would I train you just, so you can be a more useful slave to them? Maybe if you had some real ambition I'd consider it. Granted your lack of ambition is also why you're weak right now…"

Saji grimaced his teeth at Issei's brutal response, "I was ambitious enough to ask a jerk like you, wasn't I?"

"You're missing the point dude…I'm not going to train you if you're just going to keep being a simp for them. If you had a real goal, I'd reconsider," Issei explained.

"What did you just call me? A simp?" Saji said angrily.

Issei sighed, "Yeah, your only goal right now seems to be getting stronger, so you can impress some devil princess and a bunch of other girls. That kind of attitude will never make you truly powerful. That'll just make you a useful tool. You should only bother getting stronger for your own reason."

"My own reason? I…I guess I don't have one," Saji said as he drifted off in thought.

"Most people don't…that's why they end up as servants," Issei replied.

"What's your reason then? To be stronger I mean?" Saji asked curiously.

Issei just chuckled for a moment, "I have many…but being the master of my own destiny is the biggest."

Saji stared at him for a moment confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm strong so I don't have to be anyone's servant," Issei answered.

"I guess that explains the delinquent thing," Saji looked down for a moment, "I just don't know if I could have that same goal…especially now that I'm already a devil."

"You don't have to take it as far as me, but at the very least you should want something more for yourself. Get stronger for yourself…not for them. In doing so you'll probably end up impressing them more than you ever would as a selfless white knight. Also, if you want the president to like you, then stop sucking up to her like all the other servants. She'll never respect you otherwise." Issei said calmly.

"I never really thought of it that way…" Saji said distantly as if he was absorbing Issei's words.

"When you find your own reason, let me know," Issei said casually as he turned to leave.

"Hey, Hyoudou-san, are we at least cool then?" Saji asked.

"Yeah, we're fine, devil…just don't piss me off and we'll stay that way," Issei replied before walking off.

Before he was gone, Saji called out again, "By the way…you might want to stay away from that Vali chick. The others are really concerned about her. If you're serious about staying out of politics around here, then you're probably better off avoiding her."

"I'll keep that in mind," Issei said before heading for his motorcycle.

 **The Bus Stop near 3** **rd** **Street**

As he rode his motorcycle up to the place where Serafall told him to meet her, Issei was shocked to see she was already there.

' _I wonder how long she's been here? She must have known when school ended for Kuoh Academy students_ ,' Issei noted as pulled up.

Serafall was wearing a magical girl cosplay again much to Issei's dismay. He almost facepalmed when she stood up and ran towards him.

"Issei-chan! You're here!" she said super excitedly as if she were a child.

Issei looked at her outfit and sighed, "You're wearing that get-up again? We're not going to a convention you know."

"Yeah, but it's a Milky Spiral Seven movie!" she announced.

"And why does that mean you have to dress up?" he asked.

Serafall gave him a guilty smile as she looked down, "Well it is the opening day for the movie..."

"So what time was it again? 9?" he asked.

"Yep! We have some time before it starts, so let's go to the mall and go shopping!" Serafall cheered.

A moment later, she immediately got on the back of his motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist, "We can get dinner before the movie too! I'll let you pick the place!"

"Okay…how long is this movie anyway?" Issei asked curiously.

"It's almost three hours long! Two hours and 45 minutes to be exact! Though we have to stay for the end credits special scene!" she said cheerily.

' _Are you serious?! I can't sit through three hours of magical girls,_ ' Issei thought horrified, ' _since when did anime movies get that long? Aren't they supposed to be like an hour and a half?!_ '

"GO GO GO!" Serafall cheered which caused Issei to take off on his bike. After a quick and wild ride through town, they ended up reaching the mall. Issei caught more than few stares from the large crowds of people as he rode up and parked his motorcycle.

After they got off, Serafall eagerly snaked an arm around one of his as she practically dragged him into the mall. To say that people were staring was an understatement. People's eyes were glued to the odd pair as they walked inside past the various crowds of mall goers.

Issei felt almost embarrassed to be seen hanging out with a magical girl cosplayer in public like this, but considering how beautiful Serafall was, nobody could really blame him.

Several girls gasped as they pointed at the duo, "Ahhh! Look at how adorable she is! W-what is she doing with a scary guy like that?"

"Are they a couple?!" another girl gasped excitedly as if she was watching celebrities walk by.

"What's that sexy guy doing dating some Otaku weirdo?" another girl said confused.

Issei immediately realized something at that very moment…every person watching them thought Serafall was his girlfriend.

"She's so cute! I want to take a picture with her!" one guy said to his friends.

"Not a chance dude…that guy she's with looks mean as fuck," one of his buddies replied.

"Yeah right, I'll show that asshole what's up," the overly ambitious guy announced to his friends before walking in front of Issei and Serafall.

"Hey babe, you're looking fine in that outfit! Mind if I take a picture?" he asked loudly.

Serafall smiled as she held up a peace sign, "Sure, go ahead and take one of us!"

"Nah, honey, I just want a picture of you and me if you know what I mean," he said as he tried to push Issei away.

Issei immediately pushed the guy back. He ended up using way more strength than he meant to which caused they guy to go flying through the glass display of a local store.

"Holy shit?! Did you see what that asshole just did? Get him!" one of the guy's buddies shouted as he charged Issei.

The delinquent dragon effortlessly dodged the guy's swing and tripped him. A moment later Issei stomped on the downed man's leg causing him to cry out in agony.

The surrounding crowd looked horrified by the display of violence. The first guy came back from his trip into the glass display and pointed at Issei yelling loudly, "That punk just assaulted me! Someone call the cops!"

"Yo man I think he's with the Yakuza, see that jacket?!" another friend pointed at Issei seriously.

The first guy immediately backed down scared, "I don't want any trouble bro. I'm sorry!"

Issei sighed heavily before simply walking past the crowd of onlookers and two injured men. Serafall was surprisingly quiet during the whole excursion.

' _She's probably regretting this get together already…stuff like this always happens whenever I go anywhere with a girl_ ,' Issei thought to himself.

"You really are my bodyguard, aren't you?" Serafall giggled at Issei as they walked further away.

After everyone recovered from the initial shock of the situation, the crowd started moving along again. Nobody dared to try and apprehend Issei as they all assumed he was some bigshot gangster now.

Many surrounding women were now eyeing him up with approving lustful eyes as if the sight of his defending Serafall made him more desirable.

Issei wasn't really paying attention to the strange reactions of the public. He was more concerned about what Serafall was thinking at that moment. He looked down at Serafall surprised that she wasn't upset or bothered by what just happened. Much to his confusion she seemed to enjoy it.

"I'm surprised you're not upset about this," Issei said honestly.

Serafall looked at him with wide eyes and smiled, "Why would I be? You threw some jerk through a glass display. That was awesome!"

"Uhhh…yeah, sure," Issei replied somewhat surprised.

' _A magical girl cosplayer that likes reckless motorcycle rides and condones violence? She just keeps getting weirder. Man I hope these people don't think I was trying to be chivalrous,_ ' Issei thought to himself as several women gave him dreamy looks.

"Oh my god, did you just see what he did to those jerks? They were all trying to mess with his girl and he just threw that one through the glass!" a loud gossiping girl said to her friend.

"I wish he was my boyfriend…that girl is lucky to have a man that'll stand up for her," another woman said.

Issei could hear all of these weird conversations thanks to his dragon senses, and was extremely thankful that Serafall couldn't.

 _'Damn it...so much for that. Man, this got so awkward all of a sudden. At least Serafall can't hear all of them talking. If she could hear all the crazy shit these people are saying about us, things would be really weird_ ,' Issei thought as he looked down at Serafall again.

She seemed like she was getting embarrassed for some reason. Her cheeks were red much to Issei's surprise. Despite not knowing her for very long, he knew that Serafall wasn't much of a shy person. Although considering the crazy amount of attention they were getting, he figured even she had her limit.

"Hey, Issei, let's go in there," Serafall pointed to a nearby store.

Much to his horror it was a woman's clothing store. He was very reluctant to go inside, but was grateful for any excuse to ditch the crowd of staring people.

As they walked inside, the employees greeted them warmly. Issei was thankful that they were professional enough to not say anything about his jacket and her magical girl costume. Serafall anxiously pranced around the store as she found a bunch of different outfits. Once she had a few she went to the changing room in the back.

Issei awkwardly stood there not really sure what to do or where to go. He felt extremely uncomfortable being in a woman's clothing store and tried to avoid the weird looks several women would give him as he waited on Serafall to change.

One even had the initiative to walk up to him, "Are you waiting on your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Issei said without thinking.

The woman seemed disappointed at the news as she nodded and walked past. He didn't care enough to figure out why she even bothered to ask him. A moment later the curtain opened up and Serafall walked out. She appeared a bit flustered again as she looked at Issei.

"What?" he asked as he tried to read her expression.

Serafall immediately looked down, "Nothing…how does it look on me?"

The girl picked out a sexy punk looking outfit that almost matched him. It consisted of a cute sleeveless black top with black and red frilly skirt and fishnet stockings. She also had some black boots and armlets on as well.

"You look awesome. Next time we go stunt riding, you should definitely wear that," Issei remarked with approval.

Serafall continued trying on multiple different outfits for the next hour. For some reason, Issei felt more comfortable with being in the store now, and was surprisingly not hating this shopping experience.

When the two finally left the store, Serafall was back in her magical girl cosplay and had at least five bags of new clothes with her.

She seemed to be in a really good mood much to Issei's relief. They continued their shopping for several more hours and ended up buying the Milky Spiral Seven Video Game and some random other games. After they were finally done with shopping, the two ended up at this random restaurant in the mall that Issei chose.

Upon sitting down, they were surprised to see a lot of couples in the restaurant. Issei felt awkward again when he wondered what Serafall probably thought about them eating there.

' _This day has been…almost like an actual date. Now we're in this couple's diner? Jeez…I hope she doesn't take this the wrong way. I had no idea this was a couple's diner,_ ' Issei thought as he maintained his calm outer stoicism.

Serafall looked around at several of the couples in the room and immediately looked down embarrassed, "This place looks nice."

"Hopefully…I've never been here before," Issei replied as he stole a few glances at nearby couples.

"Hey, Issei, thanks for going with me today. It means a lot to have someone to go to these things with," she said somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, no problem, Serafall," Issei replied. He wasn't sure what to follow up with and looked away a moment later.

"When I was texting you last night and you didn't reply…I thought maybe you didn't like me or something. A lot of people think I'm weird," she said honestly.

"There's no denying you're a bit weird, but that's what makes you interesting. It's boring to be like everyone else, anyway," he replied.

Serafall blushed at his comment as she looked up at him, "You're-"

"Hello, are you two ready to order?" a waitress interrupted Serafall causing her to immediately give up on whatever she was going to say.

The two ordered their food and once the waitress was gone, they lost all momentum from the previous conversation.

Trying to think of anything he could say to keep things from getting awkward again, Issei spoke up, "So, what's with the whole magical girl thing? I've been wondering why you like it so much."

"O-oh, that? Well it's kind of a long story really. You sure you want to hear it?" Serafall asked.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I mean, it just seems like something an older girl wouldn't really be into."

Serafall frowned, "I guess it's because I never really had much of a childhood to be honest."

"Why?" Issei wondered.

"Well my family is…pretty wealthy and they're a bit elitist if you know what I mean. When I was a girl I didn't have much of a childhood as I was the eldest and the heir. My parents groomed me and trained me so much in my youth that I ended up resenting it as I grew older. One day I came across magical girls and it changed my life. I felt a real connection with it as if it were a missing piece of me. I know that sounds…stupid, but that's why I like it," Serafall explained with shy honesty.

Issei nodded his head at her with eyes of sympathy, "That explains a lot. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. To me it's freedom. You can't always live your life by someone else's rules. You have to make your own if you want to enjoy it."

"Yeah…my parents are a bit ashamed of it, but my sister is their heir now, so I guess what I choose to do isn't really important anymore," Serafall sighed.

"You said your sister goes to my school…how old are you if you don't mind my asking?" Issei said as cautiously as possible.

Serafall seemed a bit alarmed by his question as she looked down for a moment, "Oh…I did say that didn't I?"

Issei shrugged, "It's cool you don't have to tell me…I guess that was kind of rude to ask."

"It's okay," she finally replied.

"Don't take it the wrong way. I wouldn't care if you were older. I was just curious is all," Issei tried to diffuse the tension again.

"I suppose you could say I'm old enough to get married," Serafall finally answered.

Issei looked at her cocking his head in confusion, "It's a wonder you aren't already."

"That's what my parents keep saying…but I don't want to marry anyone unless I love them. I guess my childish selfishness is just another reason for them to think less of me," Serafall shrugged.

"Your parents sound like some uptight rich people I know," Issei remarked as he thought of devils in general. Little did he know the irony behind his inner musings.

"Hey, Issei, are you religious at all, by chance?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her and shrugged, "Not really. An old childhood friend of mine was Christian I think. I'm too busy with my own life to get all involved in the prayer and worship stuff. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you believed in the supernatural," she said with a curious face.

He looked at her uncertainly, "You mean like actual magic and ghosts and demons? All that stuff?"

Serafall nodded, "Yeah…what would you think if that stuff was real?"

Issei shook his head, "I wouldn't care. Even if it was real, I doubt I'd ever get involved with any of it."

"If it was, would you ever want to experience something special like that? Like learning magic or something?" she asked curiously.

Issei thought for a moment, "Well I always thought it'd be cool to wake up one day with super powers, but I'm sure it's got a downside to it as well. That kind of power always attracts enemies."

"You don't seem to have a problem dealing with those," Serafall said with a smile.

Issei wasn't sure where she was going with the topic but simply shrugged in silence.

Serafall looked away for a moment before making eye contact again, "What if I told you I was an actual magical girl?"

He laughed at her statement, "I'd probably believe you. I mean you've somehow convinced me to hang out with you. If that's not magic, I don't know what is."

She blushed at his statement and didn't say anything in response. The moment those words left his lips Issei thought about them more carefully, _'Wait…what the hell did I just say to her?!'_

Serafall looked back at him with a smile, "Would you ever be interested in joining my…umm…social group?"

"What? A social group? Like your friends?" Issei said confused.

Serafall nodded, "Y-yeah…it's like a fan group for all this cool supernatural stuff. I know it sounds a bit silly, but my other friends would really like you."

Issei simply chuckled, "I don't know…I'm not much of a group person. I mean I might make my own gang one day, but I doubt I'd get along with people like that."

"You get along with me though…" she said looking down.

He looked at her crossing his arms, "And?"

"Well you don't have to right now if you don't want, but I'd really like you to meet my friends sometime," she said enthusiastically.

"We'll see I guess," Issei shrugged.

"Well even if you don't, you can still spend time with me, right?" she asked hopefully.

Issei simply chuckled, "So long as you don't turn into some kind of monster then yeah."

Serafall's face froze up at his joke. She looked at him somewhat distraught, "O-oh."

"I mean that's not something you have to worry about. I can't imagine you as anything but a nice girl," Issei noted.

"Thanks, Issei…" she said distantly.

He noticed her weird change in behavior and cocked his head, "For what? You alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I'm just…" she trailed off not finding the words to say.

Issei remained silent waiting for her to finish her thought.

Finally, Serafall simply smiled, "I'm just glad I met you. Nobody I know really treats me like a girl except for you. My family and even most of my friends see me as some rich, irresponsible woman who should take everything more serious. It's nice having someone who doesn't judge me for being the way I am."

"Oh, I still judge you," Issei laughed.

Serafall's face immediately reddened as she looked at him embarrassed, "Y-you do?!"

"I see you as a fun girl and a good person. A bit weird…probably a bit crazy, but hey that's what makes people unique," Issei noted.

"Hey, Issei…can I ask you something?" Serafall spoke slowly.

"Go ahead," he nodded.

"Earlier when we were shopping someone said-" Serafall tried to speak but was interrupted again when the server showed up with their food.

"Here's your meals! They're hot so be careful," the waitress announced as she placed the food in front of them.

"Oh sweet," Issei said as he immediately dug into his meal. Serafall lost her momentum again and decided to give up on the topic as she ate her meal as well.

The two ate in silence for about a minute until Issei looked back at her, "What were you trying to tell me?"

"Nothing important," she said with a smile before going back to her food. The two of them ordered some type of burgers and fries.

They ate the rest of it in relative silence minus a few comments here and there about the taste of the food. After they finished eating, both were alarmed when the waitress brought over a single large milkshake with two straws.

Both Issei and Serafall looked at it uncertainly as the waitress happily placed it between them.

"I don't think we ordered a milkshake," Issei said immediately.

The waitress smiled at them and shook her head, "No but this one is on the house for that amazing Milky Spiral Seven cosplay."

"Thank you," Serafall said with a warm smile.

"You're so adorable! It's kind of cute seeing Mil-tan with a delinquent tough guy," the waitress giggled as she looked between Issei and Serafall.

"We're going to see the new Milky Spiral Seven movie tonight!" Serafall announced proudly.

The waitress looked at them surprised and glanced over at Issei, "I guess looks are deceiving because your boyfriend is a sweetheart for taking you to see it! I'm so jealous! Can I please take a picture with you two?"

Issei almost choked on the milkshake he was already slurping through the draw. Serafall seemed a bit caught off guard by the remark too.

"Y-yeah sure," Serafall answered, still recovering from the girl's comment.

After an awkward picture, the waitress joyously looked at them, "Thanks a lot! You guys have fun now! Enjoy the rest of your date! You treat her nice now boyfriend-kun."

Issei and Serafall both made eye contact after the girl was gone and stared at each other uncertainly.

"How's that milkshake taste? Can I have some too?" Serafall asked after a long silence. It looked like she wanted to say something else but changed her mind at the last second.

"Go ahead, there's two straws," he replied as he immediately went back to drinking it.

The two quietly slurped out of the large milkshake with their faces not far apart. Issei had no idea what was going through Serafall's mind right now, but she didn't have anything to say about the boyfriend comment much to his relief.

It's not that he was opposed to the idea of dating her, but he was honestly not sure if it was a good idea. He barely knew her, and a girl like her was too sweet and innocent to get involved with him. With all the trouble he seemed to be attracting lately, Issei would probably end up ruining her life if the devils or angels went after her in an attempt to provoke him. Not only that, but Issei did not expect Serafall to like him as much as she did. He couldn't quite explain it, but something in his instincts kept him from feeling at ease about the whole situation.

"This is so good! Save me some too, Issei!" Serafall said cheerily before returning to the milkshake. Her attitude appeared to be back to normal.

' _I wonder if she thinks this is a date or a friendly social outing? I seriously can't even tell right now. Judging by her personality it seems likely that she would have asked me to be her boyfriend if she really wanted it. Maybe she just wants to be friends? I don't have time for that. What am I even doing here with her?_ ' Issei thought to himself as he tried to read Serafall's behavior.

Issei checked the time and saw that it was 8:30 before looking up, "We need to get going if we want to catch the movie."

"Oh, the movie starts soon! C'mon Issei, let's hurry!" Serafall said urgently as she slapped down a ton of money on the table and dragged him out of the restaurant.

Issei didn't have time to see how much it was, but it was clearly way more than their meals cost. After leaving, they quickly made their way to the movie theater and after some brief waiting finally made it to their seats.

"I can't wait for this movie!" Serafall announced as she and Issei sat down in a middle row.

' _This is going to be a long three hours…_ ' he thought as the trailers started to play.

 **Midnight**

Issei felt relief finally walking outside again. He shook his head and cringed, ' _I'm never watching another magical girl movie for as long as I live. Why the hell did I go out with her? I could have been flying around with Red right about now. Speaking of which…the big guy is probably wondering where I've been all week._ '

"That was amazing! Can you believe how that final battle went? I want to learn how to do that sparkling twilight attack!" Serafall said happily.

"Well at least you liked it…" Issei said still recovering from the mind-numbing movie.

"This has been such an amazing day! I'm so glad you came with me," Serafall said happily.

Issei checked the time, "Well it's pretty late, I should probably drop you off at home."

"Already?" she gasped somewhat disappointed.

"Yeah it's late…I don't know what else you expect to do tonight," he replied.

' _I mean I can think of a few things, but getting her involved with me seems like a bad idea so I'm better off avoiding that route…_ ' Issei thought to himself.

She looked away nervously for a moment, "Yeah sorry…I don't know what I was thinking."

"Let's get going," Issei replied before the conversation could go somewhere he didn't want. He immediately went to his motorcycle with Serafall behind him.

He wasted no time taking her straight home as he was pretty tired and ready to crash for the night. Upon pulling up onto her street, Serafall spoke up, "Wait, the bus stop is back there. You don't have to drop me off directly at the house."

"It's late, and I just want to go to bed. Besides, I wouldn't feel right just dropping you off in the dark," he said calmly.

 _'Especially in devil territory_ ,' he mentally added.

As he came to a stop in front of her house, she got off and looked at him with a wide smile.

"Thanks for driving quietly through the neighborhood at least," Serafall said with a laugh.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll see you around I guess," Issei yawned.

"Promise me we'll hang out again sometime soon, k?" she asked hopefully.

"Night, Serafall," Issei waved before driving away.

As he drove down the street, he shook his head, ' _For her sake, I should probably avoid going out with her again. At least until this political shit blows over. I can't even imagine what would happen if Vali or Tiamat saw me hanging out with a girl like her._ '

 **Saturday Morning, Issei's House**

Issei awoke the next day to the sound of loud knocking on his front door. He shook his head annoyed, "Who the hell is knocking on my door this early in the morning?"

He didn't bother putting a shirt on as he made his way to the front door in his boxers. Without any hesitation, he opened it and looked outside.

To his surprise, he saw two girls standing outside of his door. Both were wearing white robes with what appeared to be black tights underneath. One had medium length blue hair with golden brown colored eyes. The other had honey chestnut colored hair tied into long twintails and violet colored eyes. Issei immediately noticed the crosses around their necks as well as a tied-up object of some kind of the blue haired girl's back.

They both looked alarmed by his half-naked appearance and immediately tried not to stare at him. He looked at them confused, "Can I help you?"

"Hello, is this the Hyoudou Residence?" the twin-tailed girl asked shyly.

"Yes, who are you?" Issei asked immediately.

"A-are you Issei Hyoudou?!" the twin-tailed girl practically gasped.

Issei nodded, "Yeah...what the hell is this about? Are you two nuns or something?"

"Issei, it's me...don't you recognize me at all?" the twin tailed girl asked.

The delinquent gave her a brief stare before speaking, "No."

"Issei, I'm so hurt that you'd forget me!" the twintail girl said in a dramatic fashion.

He gave her a blank stare, "How do you know me, exactly?"

"It's me, Irina! Irina Shidou! We were childhood friends remember?" she said strongly.

Issei thought for a moment until Irina pulled out a picture of her and Issei as children. Only then did he finally remember who this girl was.

He looked at her confused, "Shidou-kun? I thought you were a boy…"

"Y-you…what?" Irina gawked at him in disbelief.

"Regardless, what do you want from me now? I haven't spoken to you since we were kids," Issei said seriously.

"Umm about that…my friend and I were wondering if we could talk to your parents," she said embarrassed.

"My parents? They're both on vacation right now…what business do you have with them?" Issei asked suspiciously.

He sniffed the air curiously for a moment to see if they were anything unusual. To his surprise they were both humans.

"Well…is it okay if we stay with you for a few days?" Irina finally worked up the courage to ask.

Issei looked at her bewildered, "Why? What made me your first choice? Don't you have a family around here?"

"My family moved away remember? Otherwise you'd still be friends with me. Xenovia and I are kind of…well broke," Irina admitted shamefully.

"What are you even doing here in Kuoh then? You two look like you're a part of the church…you can't stay with them?" Issei asked.

The blue haired girl finally spoke up, "Forgive us for imposing on you, Issei Hyoudou. This is not something I'm proud of. We are here in this city on a mission from the church. We were given provisions, but Irina ended up losing most of our money."

"Hey, I didn't lose it. Things just…happened," Irina said with a sigh.

 _'Another blue-haired girl just showing up out of the blue. I swear I should start counting them_ ,' Issei thought to himself as he examined the girl.

"Please, Issei! We're…kind of desperate right now. You wouldn't turn away two holy women of the church would you? That would just be evil," Irina said pleadingly as she clasped her hands.

"Alright fine," he said as he let them come inside the house.

Xenovia and Irina's gazes lingered on him as he sat down on his couch and looked at them. He jerked his head motioning for them to sit down much to their interest.

"Thanks, Issei, I promise you we won't be a burden. Ummm…by the way would you mind putting some clothes on?" Irina asked with a flustered face.

"Why?" Issei countered.

"I can't look at you like that. It's…distracting," Irina stated.

"Alright, but we're going to go over some ground rules when I get back," he replied as he went to his room to throw on his usual delinquent attire.

Upon returning Irina's eyes widened with horror, "I-Issei, what are you wearing?!"

"Leather," he replied as he plopped down on the couch again.

"You're a lot different than I remembered," Irina said with a blush as she looked him up and down for a moment.

"Same could be said for you. I still can't believe you're a girl," Issei replied.

"Thank you for letting us stay here, Issei Hyoudou. Your generosity is a blessing to us," Xenovia said politely.

"About that…I'll let you stay for a few days, but I want some answers. What is this mission the church sent you on?" Issei asked curiously.

"We can't tell you that…it's confidential," Xenovia replied immediately.

"Wait…let me guess, does it involve all the angels and devils in this town?" Issei said shaking his head.

Irina frowned at him, "Are you making fun of us? I know you're not much of a believer, Issei, but we're seriously here for something important and we can't tell you what it is."

"I wasn't making fun of you…there's a lot of devils in this town, so It would only make sense for the church to want to investigate it. Besides, that thing on her back looks like a sword. What the hell would you be doing here with one of those?" Issei questioned as he looked over at Xenovia.

They both seemed a bit caught off guard by Issei's intuition. The two traded brief glances with one another before Irina spoke up again, "How much do you know about the supernatural happenings around Kuoh, Issei?"

"I know my high school is full of devils, I know the church in this town is a fallen angel base, and I know you two aren't simple nuns or whatever," the dragon answered.

Xenovia's eyes widened, "Have you had any supernatural encounters?"

"Unfortunately, I have," Issei sighed.

"We can't let you get involved with things then. It's too dangerous for a normal person," Xenovia said stoically.

"And you two aren't normal people?" he asked skeptically.

Xenovia shook her head, "No, we're exorcists."

"Like the movie? You banish demons and shit?" Issei asked almost amused.

"More or less like that. We're here to retrieve some holy artifacts," Xenovia explained.

"Xenovia! You can't tell him that!" Irina protested.

The blue haired girl shook her head, "It's enough to satisfy his curiosity and enough to retain our confidentiality. I see no issue in it. Besides, your friend is already aware of the dangers in this city."

"Speaking of which…how exactly do you know about the angels and devils, Issei?" Irina asked anxiously.

He shrugged, "I'll tell you that when you tell me what you're after."

"Touché, Issei," Irina replied with a chuckle.

"Alright well, you two are probably hungry. Help yourselves to whatever you want, I'm going to go make myself some breakfast," Issei said casually as he walked over towards his kitchen.

A moment later, another loud knocking came from the front door. He looked at it annoyed, "Tell me you two don't have more friends coming?"

"No, it's just the two of us…" Xenovia said suspiciously as she eyed the door.

"Wait, Issei, it might not be safe for you to-" Irina tried to voice her concern but Issei ignored her as he opened the door again.

Outside he saw two familiar faces, Raynare and Kalawarner. Raynare was wearing a black skirt and a lavender top. She appeared to be wearing casual attire much to Issei's confusion. Kalawarner was wearing the same revealing outfit as the last time he saw her.

For some reason, Raynare was also holding a large tray of some kind.

"What are you two doing here?" Issei said confused.

"Kalawarner and I were sent to talk to you again, but I figured we'd bring you breakfast at least," Raynare explained. She wasted no time walking past him and into his house followed closely by Kalawarner.

The moment the two fallen angels walked inside, they came face to face with the two exorcists. All four women stared at each other for a long moment in silence.

"I-Issei, get away from them! They're fallen angels!" Irina said urgently.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sorry to end this on a cliffhanger, but this chapter is already like 11 k words. Alright, so I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter. We saw a lot of stuff happen that's going to be important later on.

Serafall and Issei are still blissfully unaware of the other's background. They like each other so far, but aren't really comfortable with the idea of dating. Issei likes her enough to date, but doesn't want her to get wrapped up in his personal life as he thinks she's only human. Serafall on the other hand tried to test the waters and see if Issei would be willing to join her "social group" *cough* peerage *cough* She also feels doubtful about being able to pursue a normal human. Things will change very soon though…especially when Sona finds out. Hopefully I didn't bore you guys with the fluff, but that'll make the reveal all the more amusing.

Tiamat isn't stupid and is finally starting to figure Issei out. To clarify that scene in case anyone is confused, Issei has a bunch of extra dragon powers he got from Red. His extra pair of dragon wings are separate from his sacred gear…so you could technically classify him as a half-dragon half-human in the story so far.

We also got a bit of a reveal to the ORC and Student council devils that Vali isn't part of their faction. How will they deal with her when they find out she's Rizevim's granddaughter? How will they deal with Tiamat's allegiance to her?

Xenovia and Irina showing up was probably a surprise to a lot of you. Things are about to get serious now. How will Issei deal with the four way showdown that's about to break out in his house? You'll just have to wait and see!

As always, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Exorcists and Angels**

 **Issei's House**

"I-Issei, get away from them! They're fallen angels!" Irina said urgently.

"Are those exorcists!?" Raynare said confused as she quickly placed the tray she was carrying down on a nearby table.

Kalawarner stared down the two women with hostility, "Exorcists?!"

Xenovia wasted no time unwrapping her blade and throwing off her robes as she stared the two angels down.

Issei was still standing there bewildered by what was happening. Irina looked at him again, "Run Issei! We'll deal with them!"

"What the fuck is all of this?! Put that down!" Issei yelled at Xenovia as he immediately walked over and forced her blade down.

Xenovia was caught off guard by Issei's strength as her blade went directly to the ground. She tried to lift it up again, but couldn't lift it against his strength much to her shock.

"Issei, what are these people doing at your house?" Raynare asked urgently.

"If you so much as lay a hand on him, I'll destroy you fallen angels!" Irina announced as she brought out her sword as well.

Kalawarner eyed them curiously, "Are those, Excaliburs?"

"Just like the other guy…" Raynare said with a low hiss.

Irina tried to attack Raynare and Kalawarner with her Excalibur Mimic. The blade formed into a whip-like shape as the twin-tailed girl forced the angels back.

Raynare and Kalawarner both immediately spread their wings causing black feathers to go flying all around Issei's living room.

"What? No! Don't fuck up my house!" he shouted in disbelief at the feathers flying everywhere. He was even more distraught as Irina's attack missed Raynare and knocked over a table and several pictures off the wall. Issei let go of Xenovia's sword as he tried to stop Irina from swinging her weapon again.

"Irina, put that down!" Issei yelled at his childhood friend.

While this was happening, Kalawarner formed a light spear a moment later and flew in to attack Xenovia. The two crossed blades and after a brief pushing contest they ended up forcing each other back.

They both moved in for another clash until Issei intercepted them both by grabbing each of their weapon hands.

"STOP FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!" Issei shouted angrily causing all of the girls to stop and look at him.

Xenovia seemed shocked by Issei's strength again as he immediately took her sword away from her and threw it on the ground. He then turned to Kalawarner annoyed, "Put that thing away, Kalawarner!"

"S-sorry," Kalawarner backed down as she receded her light spear. The exorcists seemed shocked that Issei was able to make the angels stop.

Raynare looked at Irina wickedly, "So…what are these _exorcists_ doing at your house, Issei? Are they giving you any trouble? Did the angels send them or the church?"

"How do you know Issei fallen one?!" Irina demanded.

"He's our ally and friend," Raynare boldly declared.

"W-what?!" Irina gasped as she looked over at Issei.

Xenovia had a similar shocked expression and cocked her head, "Are you in league with the fallen angels Issei Hyoudou?"

"No…I don't work for anyone. They're just some acquaintances of mine that I gave some intel to about the devils," Issei sighed.

"H-how exactly did you move like that and catch Xenovia's sword?" Irina asked confused.

"You dumb bitches don't know? Issei's a dragon…and he's with us, not you!" Raynare hissed.

Issei shook his head, ' _Damn it…I REALLY wanted to go see Red today. What the hell am I going to do with all these fucking people bothering me every hour of the day now?_ '

"Y-you're a dragon?! That's impossible! We're childhood friends! We grew up together. I know you, Issei and both of your parents are human!" Irina said disbelievingly.

"Evidently you don't know him very well then. Issei is more powerful than any of us and especially some goody-two-shoes, preachy church bitch like you," Kalawarner added.

Irina's face got flustered with anger from Kalawarner's remark.

Xenovia looked over at Issei disbelievingly, "So you're a dragon? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Why would he? Issei already has to deal with devils propositioning him every day at his school. Why would he want people like you to know?" Raynare defended him.

"That's impossible…his parents are both human!" Irina declared again.

Raynare and Kalawarner gave Issei curious looks as if to confirm this claim.

Kalawarner tilted her head in confusion, "How is that possible? He's half dragon from what we've heard and seen."

"Issei why do they think you're a dragon?" Irina practically demanded.

Issei growled in annoyance, "Yeah I'm a dragon…that's all you need to know."

Raynare crossed her arms and sent a rude glare towards Irina, "I guess you didn't know him as well as you thought, huh, little girl?"

Irina got uncharacteristically mad at the statement, "I know him better than some fallen traitors like you!"

"So those are holy swords I take it?" Issei asked as he stared at Xenovia and Irina threateningly.

"Those are Excaliburs, Issei," Kalawarner explained immediately.

Issei shook his head in annoyance, "Why does this bullshit always happen in Kuoh?"

"Why are you church bitches here if you didn't know that Issei was a dragon?" Kalwarner demanded.

"He's my childhood friend! We're staying here!" Irina announced.

Raynare and Kalawarner gave Issei curious looks as if the idea of it was ludicrous. Raynare shook her head, "Like hell you are! I am NOT letting you two talk him into helping with whatever the hell you're here for. Besides, Issei doesn't need some dumb little girl like you around him."

"Get out of here fallen one! Issei doesn't need the likes of _YOU_ corrupting him you vile temptress!" Irina shouted back at Raynare.

A moment later the entire room grew heavy with a red draconic aura as Issei spoke, "Will you all just sit down and shut the fuck up for one minute?!"

All four of the women shuddered at the brief surge of power and practically almost fell to their knees just from the pressure of the aura alone.

Irina immediately put her sword down and fell back onto the couch. Xenovia didn't even bother retrieving hers as she sat down next to Irina.

"I just woke up…and I'm fucking hungry. So why don't you all sit the fuck down or get out of my house?! I'm going to get some breakfast," he continued as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Wait, Issei! I brought you breakfast, let's eat it together!" Raynare announced as she grabbed the tray of food again and brought it to the living room table. Issei was truly amazed it didn't get toppled in the brief showdown moments earlier.

Raynare placed the food tray on the table in his living room, "It's home-made, Issei. I made enough for the _three_ of us. There's a lot for you to enjoy…I figured dragons probably eat more than we do."

"I didn't know you could cook," Issei said somewhat surprised as he sat down across from Xenovia and Irina and looked over the food.

Raynare seized that opportunity to sit right next to him while Kalawarner took his other side. Their wings were still out much to Issei's annoyance as he looked around at the feathers all over his living room. Irina and Xenovia exchanged disbelieving glances at Issei and the fallen angels sitting across from them.

It looked like they wanted to say something, but after Issei's brief display of power, neither one wanted to risk upsetting him any further.

"How is it, Issei?" Raynare asked anxiously as the brunette started to eat some of the eggs and muffins.

"Surprisingly, it's good. Thanks for cooking," he said after swallowing several bites.

Raynare's face lit up at his comment which only seemed to annoy Irina.

"I'm glad you like it. Try some of the fish omelets too! I wasn't sure what you liked, but I figured a dragon must like fish," Raynare said as she put some on his plate and got some herself. Kalawarner ate her food in silence as she continued to stare at Irina and Xenovia.

Irina and Xenovia felt their stomachs grumbling at the sight of the food. Raynare could tell that the two opposing girls were hungry as she slowly ate it in a taunting way.

A brief silence followed as Issei and the fallen angels ate some of the food. Nobody spoke up again as they were undoubtedly expecting him to say something. There was enough tension in the room to cut with a knife as the four females all exchanged sharp glares with one another.

Irina and Raynare appeared particularly opposed to one another while Xenovia and Kalawarner stared each other down.

Issei looked up at Irina and Xenovia who both appeared to be very uncomfortable and a bit unhappy at having to sit in hungry silence.

"May I ask something?" Irina broke her silence upon making eye contact with Issei.

He nodded, "Sure, what is it?"

"Do you have any food in your kitchen?" Irina asked hopefully.

"You two are probably hungry if you're broke, huh? Go ahead and have some of my food. It looks like Raynare made enough for six instead of three," Issei offered some of his omelets to Xenovia and Irina.

"T-thank you, Issei Hyoudou," Xenovia said respectfully as she slowly reached out to take some of the food he offered her.

Irina was still recovering from the situation, but her hunger got the better of her as she reluctantly took some of the food as well.

"God bless you, Issei," Irina said bowing her head as she began to eat.

The exorcist girls were both no doubt feeling reservations about eating something a fallen angel cooked, but seeing as how Issei offered, neither one dared to refuse.

Xenovia and Irina were too proud to admit they liked it, but Xenovia was at least polite enough to say something, "Thanks for the food…it's been a while."

The black haired fallen angel seemed a bit annoyed watching Xenovia and Irina enjoy her breakfast that she made specifically for Issei.

She shook her head at them, "You two look pitiful right now…eating food that I made for Issei. You better have a good reason for being here."

"Why would you make him breakfast anyway?" Xenovia asked confused, "that doesn't seem like something a fallen angel would do. Your kind is very sadistic from what I've seen."

"You exorcists are way worse than we are! What would you know about fallen angels? That we're all bad evil sinners? That we torture people for fun?" Raynare countered.

"Considering you're taunting them with food, I'd say the last part is true," Issei remarked.

Raynare looked away embarrassed, "I…I wasn't doing that! I was enjoying the taste!"

"Come on, Raynare…do you think I'm blind?" Issei sighed in annoyance.

"I…" Raynare immediately looked down shamefully at being called out.

Xenovia looked at the black-haired woman stoically, "I know enough about fallen angels. I know that you're selfish and vile creatures who shunned God's rule. And now I also know that you're petty sadists and liars too," Xenovia replied.

Raynare rolled her eyes, "This is why I hate you sanctimonious, pious, bible thumping morons. God wasn't all knowing or all-powerful. Hell, he wasn't even stronger than the mightiest of the dragons. Keep your condescending attitude to yourself, exorcist. You don't know anything!"

"Why are these two beggars staying at your home anyway? Are you helping them at all? What is their mission? Did they tell you?" Kalawarner asked Issei several questions as she looked between him and the exorcists.

"We're not beggars, you harlot," Irina protested.

"Harlot? Oh, I'm so offended. I'm sure you'll be begging Issei to spare your life when he finds out what you exorcists are up to," Kalawarner chuckled at her.

"All four of you are going to be begging for your lives if you don't stop being petty bitches!" Issei said annoyed.

"Issei, they-" Kalawarner tried to speak again but flinched and stopped talking when he turned to glare at her.

"I'm sorry, Issei, we didn't mean to be annoying," Raynare apologized immediately.

Issei quickly changed the topic as he looked at Raynare again, "What was that you said about God not being stronger than the mightiest of the dragons? How would you know that?"

"Lord Azazel told us that God was actually afraid of two dragons…Ophis the Infinite, and Great Red the Dragon of Dragons. They're supposedly some of the most powerful beings in existence," Kalawarner answered for her.

"Your leader knows about Great Red?" Issei asked curiously.

Kalawarner nodded, "Yes, he's very interested in dragons in general. When we told him that you were one, he got excited. That's one of the reasons why we're here today. Lord Azazel wants to meet you."

"So that's why you're here? I was wondering what the hell you two wanted this early in the morning," Issei sighed.

"You want him to meet Azazel? As in the leader of the fallen angels?" Xenovia gawked.

"What does he want with me?" Issei asked with a clear tone of displeasure.

"He wouldn't say…but he agreed to meet you at your convenience. He hopes that you won't refuse," Kalawarner replied.

"I guess I can meet him…so long as it's nothing formal or anything like that. But I swear if I hear one more speech this week about why I should help someone's faction out…I might lose it," Issei sighed.

"You'll like Lord Azazel, Issei. He's very much like you in some regards. He doesn't care much for conflict or drama either. He probably just feels it's more appropriate to tell you some things in person rather than through us," Kalawarner explained.

"If you're actually a dragon, Issei, how powerful are you?" Irina spoke up curiously after finishing her food.

"He's stronger than us and most of the devils and angels in this town. Issei also has the ability to conceal his power from what we've seen. It's how he's been able to freely operate in devil territory without them interfering for all this time. Although now that they know he's a dragon, the devils in Kuoh are pretty scared of him," Kalawarner answered for Issei.

' _Since when did the fallen angels start believing I was stronger than everyone in town?_ ' Issei thought confused.

"So, what are you two here for? Does it involve those Excaliburs?" Issei finally asked Xenovia and Irina.

Xenovia and Irina traded brief glances with one another as if deciding whether or not it was okay to tell him with the two fallen angels sitting there.

Finally, Xenovia decided to speak up, "We're here to retrieve or destroy the missing pieces of Excalibur. From what we understand, fallen angels have been gathering them with the help of rogue church members. We've recently learned that Valper Galilei is working for Kokabiel to gather all the Excaliburs for some sinister reason. The church sent us to investigate and stop them."

"What? That's a lie! I haven't heard anything about that…have you, Kala?" Raynare asked her friend confused.

Kalawarner looked at them curiously, "I assumed you two were with that weirdo Valper Galilei and that freak exorcist Freed Sellzen. You're telling us you're not and that they work for Kokabiel!?"

"We're here from the church to investigate Valper Galilei for his stealing of the Excalibur fragments and his involvement in the Holy Sword Projects. He's gathering them for Kokabiel last we heard," Irina reiterated Xenovia's information.

"So Kokabiel IS working with him? This changes everything. We need to tell Azazel," Kalawarner said seriously.

"Tell him what? Aren't you two Kokabiel's minions?" Irina said confused.

"Technically we're under him, but our group doesn't directly work for Kokabiel. We work for Azazel. If you two are opposed to Valper Galilei then I guess we're technically not enemies," Kalawarner noted.

"Wait, what are you talking about Kala? Kokabiel is working with church members?!" Raynare asked confused.

Kalawarner shook her head, "Kokabiel has been acting strange lately. Lord Azazel asked me to keep an eye on him. Now it all makes sense. Although I still don't understand what he hopes to gain from helping those church people."

"Who is Kokabiel exactly?" Issei asked Kalawarner.

"He's one of our high-ranking leaders…a Cadre. Lord Azazel tasked him to watch over the devils around this town several years ago. He has his own group of underlings that we don't deal with very often. They're a separate group of fallen angels in this town from ours. Our group was directly tasked by Azazel to investigate sacred gear wielders in Kuoh and to secretly watch Kokabiel. Although only Dohnaseek and I knew about the latter. We're technically under Kokabiel's authority here, but we have a different mission. I had my suspicions that these two girls were with the church leader here, Valper Galilei…and now it seems that he is in league with Kokabiel," Kalawarner elaborated in detail.

"Why would Kokabiel work with exorcists? Also, why didn't you tell me about you watching Kokabiel for Azazel?" Raynare asked Kalawarner disbelievingly.

"I wasn't entirely sure until just now. It would seem he's working to gather the Excalibur fragments. It's hard to say what for, but we should definitely report this to Azazel," the blue haired fallen angel replied.

"So, you two aren't with the other fallen angels in this city?" Xenovia said surprised.

"Like I said…we are but we aren't," the other bluenette answered immediately.

"In that case, it would seem we have a common enemy," Xenovia stated.

Irina frowned, "Who's this other exorcist you mentioned? I don't know anyone named Freed Sellzen."

"He's some sick fucker Raynare encountered about a week ago. There was this girl with a sacred gear that we were trying to find, but he got to her first. He fought Raynare off with an Excalibur and eventually devils showed up…let's just say Raynare HATES exorcists now," the busty blue haired woman replied.

"We have no affiliation with any other exorcist in this town. In fact, we're actually looking to kill any rogue church members while we're here," Xenovia said strongly.

Raynare finally broke her silence, "Well in that case, I'd be happy to help you kill that disgusting freak. He cost us Twilight Healing!"

"Patience, Raynare…we can't blow our cover yet. If all of this adds up, then that would mean that Freed Sellzen is working for Kokabiel. There's a reason Azazel only told me to do the espionage. He knew you'd be too hotheaded to keep your mouth shut. We have to investigate this further," Kalawarner said to the black-haired beauty.

"Why would this Freed Sellzen guy fight off a fallen angel if he was working for Kokabiel?" Irina wondered.

Kalawarner shook her head, "That's a good point…I didn't even think of that. Perhaps he acted on his own accord. That man isn't exactly sane from what Raynare claims. The worst-case scenario would be he knew that we were outside of Kokabiel's direct underlings and wanted to take the Twilight Healing away from us for Kokabiel's own splinter group. The latter seems more likely, unfortunately."

"You mentioned a girl with a Twilight Healing sacred gear…does this exorcist still have her in his custody?" Xenovia asked seriously.

"I couldn't say if he still does. The Gremory girl and her little entourage of devil filth had been making advances towards her too. Their arrival during my fight forced me to retreat and prevented me from getting her…otherwise that freak exorcist would be dead right now. The girl's name is Asia Argento and she's an Italian nun," Raynare replied.

"What do you mean _getting her_? What did you plan on using her for?" Xenovia asked dangerously.

Raynare sighed, "I meant we were going to try and recruit her to help us or forcibly take Twilight Healing away from her if she aligned with the devils. We can't afford to let those devils reincarnate her as one of them. A devil with Twilight Healing would be an extreme nuisance."

"That poor girl," Irina said shaking her head.

The black haired fallen angel sighed, "I pity anyone that has to be a servant to a devil."

"So, the devils have this girl now?" Issei asked curiously.

Raynare nodded, "Most likely…but there's nothing more we can really do about it. Besides if Freed Sellzen and those other church freaks are in league with Kokabiel, we have much bigger problems to worry about."

"I don't like fallen angels…but if you two are against Valper Galilei, we'll gladly help you in any way we can," Xenovia stated diplomatically.

Kalawarner and Raynare exchanged brief looks with each other as if deciding whether or not it was okay. Finally, they seemed to reach a consensus as Kalawarner looked back at Xenovia and Irina, "Alright…we're temporary allies then."

Issei yawned loudly at their conversation, "Well you'll have to forgive me if I don't find this interesting anymore. It looks like you four finally have some common ground. So, go have fun playing detective. I'm going out for a bit to enjoy my weekend."

"W-wait! Issei, can you help us? If you're as strong as they say you are, we could really use your help," Irina asked pleadingly.

He immediately face-palmed, "God why does drama follow me everywhere I go?"

"If Kokabiel gets involved in this, then we won't be able to take him out. He's a leader class fallen angel," Irina protested.

"What makes you think I could stop him then?" Issei asked.

"Do you really think it'll come to violence with Kokabiel?" Raynare asked Kalawarner with a frown.

Kalawarner shrugged, "Hard to say…but he's not exactly friendly. Every time I see him, all Kokabiel can talk about is how he wants to destroy Kuoh Academy and purge all the devils there. We can't really be sure of what to do about him until we find out what he's up to. I'm definitely reporting this to Azazel before anything else though."

"Kokabiel wants to destroy Kuoh Academy? Let him then…he'd be doing me a favor. I could just go to high school in Kyoto," Issei laughed.

"That's actually not a good idea. We'd start another great war if he attacked the Sitri or Gremory heirs. The whole town is already on edge with Tiamat here. If Kokabiel goes and does something stupid, we'd all be fucked," Kalawarner explained.

"Can Azazel do anything about Kokabiel?" Xenovia asked hopefully.

"He can…but it's going to be a shitstorm if he has to use force with Kokabiel. This town is already on the verge of conflict. The devils might misunderstand if they see Azazel show up and use his power here. That's why we have to be patient," Kalawarner sighed.

' _Now I know why Red gives zero fucks about anything else in the world…this political shit is stupid. I'll bet even God got tired of dealing with angels and devils. If he was still alive, he'd probably be riding around in the Dimensional Rift with me and Red_ ,' Issei thought to himself.

' _ **Great Red's life suddenly makes a lot more sense now doesn't it? Aren't you glad I convinced you to not reveal yourself for all these years?'**_ Ddraig asked him.

' _You're truly a dragon saint, Ddraig. I can't imagine how stupid my life would be if you and Red weren't there to coach me through this shit. I'm just going to end up flying through the dimensional rift with him for the rest of eternity if this gets any stupider._ ' Issei replied telepathically to the heavenly red dragon.

' _ **You haven't seen anything yet, Issei…wait until they find out you're the Red Dragon Emperor. Every host I've ever had was surrounded by people who wanted to either fight them, follow them, worship them, or mate with them. They're literally going to think you're a god when you do reveal yourself. Though you'll also attract a lot of enemies too,'**_ Ddraig sighed.

' _I'll probably end up having to kill that Kokabiel guy_ ,' Issei thought with a sigh.

"So, what do you suggest we do then, Kala?" Raynare asked.

The blue haired fallen angel frowned as she leaned back and crossed her arms, "Well there's only one real lead we can go off of right now…Freed Sellzen. We might be able to convince him to tell us what's happening if we pretended to be working for Kokabiel's plot. These two exorcists here would make good bait in drawing him out too."

"Where is this rogue exorcist anyway? Where was the last place you saw him?" Irina asked.

"The last place we saw Freed Sellzen was on the other side of town near some apartment complexes. He's likely moved on now, but I'm sure you two would be good bait to draw him out if he is indeed looking for Excaliburs," Raynare explained.

"I don't feel right about this, Xenovia…we should bring Issei with us in case the fallen angels try anything," Irina said to her blue haired friend.

Raynare groaned at her, "You seriously think we're going to set you up?"

"I don't like it…you two could easily just pretend like you're with him and turn on us to keep your cover," Irina replied.

"That's actually a good idea now that I think about it," Raynare laughed almost wickedly.

"Issei Hyoudou, would you be willing to come with us? I feel like it would be better for all sides to have a mediator for this alliance…especially if the devils show up as well," Xenovia asked as she bowed her head.

Issei face palmed for a moment before running a hand through his hair. He let out another long-exaggerated sigh, "Alright fine…I'll take of it just so you'll stop talking about this."

"Take care of it? What do you mean?" Xenovia asked confused.

Issei said nothing as he left the room and walked into his garage. He immediately got on his motorcycle and turned it on as the garage door was opening.

The four girls all rushed to the front of his house when they saw him pulling out slowly. Irina immediately called out to him, "I-Issei, when did you get a motorcycle?! Where are you going?"

"To go get this Freed Sellzen guy. Get on, you two," Issei looked at Irina and Xenovia.

They both seemed to have some reservations about his request. Irina looked at him concerned, "I've never been on one of those before."

"There's only one seat in the back," Xenovia pointed out.

"There's enough room for you two, so get on right now," Issei ordered.

Raynare and Kalawarner immediately traded disbelieving glances as Irina got on the motorcycle first. She practically had to hug Issei's back to make room for Xenovia and her sword, but after a moment the two exorcists were on.

"Where should we meet you?" Raynare asked concerned as her eyes drilled a hole into Irina's head.

"I can do it without you two. You're fallen angels so it'll be drama if that Kokabiel guy finds out you were involved. Go report to your leader, Azazel, and tell him what you need to. You can also tell him that I'll meet him sometime later in the week I guess," Issei replied.

"W-wait, what are you planning on doing?" Raynare asked concerned.

Issei glanced back at her, "Getting rid of this rogue exorcist."

"I want to go too then!" Raynare protested.

Kalawarner shook her head, "Issei makes a good point. If he kills Freed then we can maintain our cover. Besides we need to report to Azazel anyway."

"Fine…but I'm coming back to check in on you tomorrow, Issei." Raynare announced as Issei took off on his motorcycle.

"Let's go," Kalawarner said as she prepared to teleport.

Raynare shook her head, "I'll catch up with you…I want to clean up Issei's living room before we go."

"Oh? And why is that?" Kalawarner smirked.

"Because it's covered in our feathers…I don't want Issei to hate us. You saw how mad he got right? That aura of his was powerful. He's not someone we should upset…and besides anything we can do to get Issei to like us is a plus right?" Raynare explained her reasoning.

"First you cook for him, and now you're cleaning for him? Are you trying to show off your housewife skills?" Kalawarner laughed.

"W-what?! No of course not! I just still feel like I owe him," Raynare shot back.

"Well in that case…I'll stay and help," Kalawarner chuckled.

 **Far Side of Town, Fallen Angel Territory**

"Issei slow down please!" Irina shouted fearfully as the delinquent dragon recklessly drove at high speeds through urban areas dodging traffic and people alike.

Xenovia appeared equally distressed, but was doing better at containing her emotions.

"What did you say? Go faster? You got it!" Issei laughed as he revved his bike up to go full speed.

Flames shot out of the exhaust as he came to a long stretch that led straight to the apartments he was looking for.

After a long burnout, he slowed down and finally stopped in front of them. Irina and Xenovia were both panting heavily and looked like they were terrified. Irina hugged into Issei's back as tightly as she could once they finally stopped, "Thank God!"

"You can get off now, we're here," Issei replied as he pulled up and glanced back at the two girls who were still holding on for dear life.

"Oh…haha sorry," Irina said with a light blush as she finally realized she was in a promiscuous position against his back.

"I've seen motorcycles before, but never one this fast," Xenovia remarked with disbelief as she and Irina got off.

Issei looked around for a moment and spoke, "Alright, we need to find this guy quickly, so I can go home and enjoy the rest of my weekend."

A moment later Issei heard a notification for his phone go off. He briefly checked it as Irina and Xenovia were regaining their bearings.

His eyes shot open when he saw his phone had 15 unread messages. He briefly read over them to see what they were about. 14 of them were from Serafall unsurprisingly and were mostly just random messages to him about the Milky Spiral Seven game she was playing.

The last message really caught his attention though as it came from a number he did not recognize. It read, _[Why didn't you tell me you had a cellphone? I would have given you my number.]_

He immediately texted back, _[Who the fuck is this? How did you get this number?]_

 _[Your employer gave it to me when I went by your bike shop. I didn't know you made illegal motorcycles for gangsters lol.]_ the mystery person sent back.

 _[Don't play games with me. Tell me who this is!]_ He messaged back angrily.

Xenovia and Irina both looked at him confused.

"Issei what are you doing?" Irina asked.

"Is that a cell phone? Who are you messaging?" Xenovia asked interested.

 _[Haha, calm down turbo…it's your favorite devil in the world.]_ the mystery person sent back.

 _[Vali?]_ Issei immediately sent a response.

 _[So, I am your favorite devil in the world? Haha, good to know. Hey, so do you want to chill today or something? Tiamat is off doing something in the Underworld this weekend and I'm kind of bored.]_ Vali texted back.

 _[Maybe later…I'm sort of busy with something at the moment.]_ he responded.

 _[I know…I went by your house a minute ago and you weren't there. What are you doing?]_ she asked.

 _[Long story…I'll tell you about it later.]_ he replied.

 _[Alright then…let me know when you're done with whatever you're doing.]_ Vali replied.

 _[Will do.]_ he messaged before closing his phone and looking at Irina and Xenovia.

Both appeared a bit curious about who he was messaging. Irina was the first to say something, "Who was that, Issei?"

"Just a friend of mine…she wanted to know if I was available this weekend," Issei told the truth.

Irina's eyes widened, "A friend? A female friend?"

"Yes…" he answered tilting his head at her.

A moment later Issei's phone sent out another notification sound and vibrated. He opened his phone and checked the message.

It was from Serafall _, [This game is even better than the movie we saw last night! It would be more fun if you were here to play with me though. You'll love the character I made. I named her Sera Hyoudou! She looks like a combination of you and me!]_

' _What the fuck?! Why would she name her character with my last name? I cannot reply to her…c'mon Issei just ignore her and she'll move on. If I talk to Serafall again I'm only going to get her wrapped up in this nightmare with me. Besides…there's no way I can hang out with her now that all these angels, devils, exorcists, and fuck knows what else are coming out of nowhere. I mean what's next? Cat girls? Fox girls?! Let me catch some furry animal bitch trying to come into this town too. That'd be the day I lose it,_ ' Issei scoffed to himself as he dozed off in thought for a moment.

Issei absent-mindedly forgot that Xenovia and Irina were standing right next to him. Both of them were able to read the message before he realized it had happened.

"You saw a movie with that girl last night?! Is that your girlfriend?" Irina practically gasped at the idea.

Issei gave her a blank look and shook his head, "No, I don't have one."

"Thank god," Irina said under her breath.

"What was that?" Issei asked.

"Nothing!" she immediately responded.

Xenovia looked at Issei curiously, "Who is Sera then? Your friend?"

Issei sighed, "Yes and no…she's just some weird girl I met at a convention the other day."

"Convention?" Xenovia said as if it was a word from a lost language.

Irina gawked at Issei, "You go to those? Are cosplay girls your thing?"

"What?! No…let's just move on and find this Freed asshole," Issei immediately ended the conversation as he began to approach the apartments. Xenovia and Irina followed closely behind him.

He honed his senses as he closed his eyes and tried to detect any sign of a holy sword. Though it was faint, he finally managed to sniff one out nearby. He followed it for a while until finally he came to some type of big warehouse near the apartment complexes.

Xenovia and Irina had been quiet during this time but perked up when issei stopped.

"Do you know where you're going?" Irina asked Issei with a light laugh.

"Inside…I sense another holy sword inside of there," Issei said as he immediately kicked the door open.

The doors flew off their hinges and shot through the dark warehouse. Issei could see perfectly in the dark and immediately locked his gaze on a man standing around a bunch of corpses. They appeared to be dead church members.

He looked extremely alarmed to see Issei and the two girls with him.

"Now now now, what do we have here?! More devils?! No…no no no no! Church Exorcists hahaha!" the man laughed maniacally.

He immediately drew his sword which glowed golden, "Come now, girls! Face my Excalibur Rapidly!"

Both Irina and Xenovia drew their blades ready for a fight, but before they even realized what had happened, Issei was already on him.

Freed maniacally swung his weapon around, but was shocked when Issei caught it by the blade. The dragon glared at him annoyed, "I don't have time for this annoying shit you spaz…"

A moment later Issei squeezed the blade causing the sword to break in half. Freed Sellzen fell back in horror as Issei's body began to glow in a red aura.

"W-what are you?! How did you break my Excalibur?!" Freed demanded hysterically.

Issei didn't even bother answering his question as two dragon wings came out of his back, "What is Kokabiel planning?"

Freed looked truly afraid when he realized what Issei was, "D-dragon wings?!"

"Answer the fucking question!" Issei shouted at him.

"He's trying to combine all of the Excaliburs and use them against the devils! He wants to start another Great War!" Freed immediately answered.

"Where's the girl?" Issei followed up with another question.

"W-w-what girl?!" Freed said fearfully.

"Don't fucking play stupid! Asia Argento…the girl with the Twilight Healing," Issei replied.

"T-the devils got her!" he answered right away.

"That's all I need from you then," Issei replied as exhaled fire out over the man burning him alive. His screams drowned the room for a moment before going silent.

Irina and Xenovia were both still standing by the entrance and could only stare at him in disbelief as Issei turned Freed Sellzen into ash. A moment later he picked up the holy sword halves of Freed's Excalibur and walked over towards the girls.

He handed them to Irina, "There, take it."

"Issei…you just…" Irina trailed off not sure how to follow up.

"I'm not getting involved in this stupid conflict. I helped you out with this, and I'll let you stay at my house for a bit, but you're on your own if you intend on picking a fight with a fallen angel leader. If you're lucky, that Azazel guy will take care of it for you," Issei explained as he receded his wings and went back to his motorcycle.

Irina and Xenovia followed him in stunned silence as they were still trying to comprehend how Issei snapped a holy sword in half with his bare hand.

Xenovia finally broke the silence on their walk back, "Those fallen angels were right…you're way stronger than any of us. Why don't you do anything about things around here if you're so powerful, Issei Hyoudou?"

"Just call me Issei, alright? Irina does, so what does it matter if you do too," Issei told the bluenette.

"Why did you kill that man, Issei?" Irina spoke up.

"He was annoying…and didn't you say you were here to kill rogue church members? I got the information we needed from him and I tied up a lose end so he wouldn't report back to Kokabiel," Issei said carelessly.

Irina frowned, "Yeah but…that just didn't seem like you."

"You don't know anything about me, Irina," Issei said strongly.

"Maybe not anymore. I don't really understand how you're a dragon, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want. I'd like to be friends with you again if you'd let me though." Irina said trailing off with a sad tone.

"We're still friends…but I'd prefer it if you kept this drama away from me. I'm just trying to finish high school up without too much trouble," Issei sighed.

"That's understandable…our mission can wait then until Azazel deals with Kokabiel. We didn't mean to burden you with our troubles, Issei," Xenovia apologized.

He sighed, "It's alright…I can tell you two mean well and you're not very politically driven unlike the angels and devils."

"If we're going to lay low for a while then what should we do until then?" Irina asked uncertainly.

"You can stay at my house until we figure it out I guess…but there's going to be some conditions," Issei said sternly.

"Conditions?" Irina repeated as she looked at Issei curiously.

"Hey, you go to Kuoh Academy, right Issei?" Xenovia changed the subject.

Issei nodded, "Yep…I go to that devil's nest for school. Why do you ask?"

"Would you be opposed to us transferring there? I mean I'd prefer it if we stayed in closer proximity to you, and not to mention it's probably safer to be in devil territory than fallen angel territory right now," Xenovia explained her logic.

"After seeing what you just did to that guy, I'd say the safest place is to be around you," Irina said to Issei.

The delinquent thought for a moment, "I suppose that's okay…you two are human so they won't have any reason to bother you."

"I don't think it's possible for us to transfer there. Our education is well…different than what a high school would accept," Irina explained.

"Perhaps if you knew someone on the inside who could make it happen…" Irina followed up with a hopeful open-ended suggestion.

"I suppose I could ask the student council president…though she's a devil and I'd prefer not to deal with that mess. If they find out you two are exorcists then shit's only going to get worse," Issei noted.

Xenovia sighed, "What should we do then?"

"We'll work it out…let's head back home," Issei said as he got back on his motorcycle.

Irina and Xenovia reluctantly got back on it again as Issei revved up and took off.

 **Issei's House**

As he pulled into his garage, Issei felt Xenovia and Irina immediately leap off his bike in relief.

"Go relax for a bit. You're free to eat whatever is in the fridge if you get hungry. I'll be back in a few hours. I have to go check on something," Issei said as he pulled his phone out.

He sent a message to Vali, _[I'm free for a little bit. Did you have something in mind for hanging out or did you just want to talk?]_

Vali replied almost immediately, _[I actually do have some things I wanted to talk to you about.]_

 _[You at your house again?]_ Vali asked.

 _[Yes, but I can meet you somewhere if you'd like,]_ he sent back.

 _[Meet me on top of the casino parking garage. I'll be on the roof of the tallest one.]_ Vali responded.

 _[Otw]_ Issei sent before putting his phone away.

Irina was still standing at the garage door looking at Issei concerned, "Hey, Issei…where are you going?"

"To talk to one of my friends. Go relax for a bit, Irina. When I get back we're going to work out your living arrangements here," Issei replied before taking off on his bike again.

 **Parking Garage, Rooftop**

Issei quickly reached the specified meeting location and found Vali leaning against the side of the building edge. She immediately turned her head when she heard him pull up. Issei parked his bike right next to hers and got off.

Vali turned back towards the horizon as Issei walked over towards her, "Glad you made it out here. I figured you would be busy all day. Did you take care of that thing you were doing?"

"Yeah…it was just some rogue exorcist I took out. A favor for an old childhood friend of mine," Issei explained as he leaned his back against the edge.

"Childhood friend?" Vali said almost amused.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, just some girl I knew when I was younger."

"Is she human?" Vali asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's apparently some kind of exorcist now. She asked if she could stay at my place for a few days," Issei explained.

"Haha, that's not something I'd expect you to do. Why are you helping her? Do you like her or something?" Vali laughed.

"Not exactly, I barely remember her to be honest. The last time I saw her I was still under the impression that I was human. I didn't find out about my dragon half until a few years after she moved," Issei replied.

"Hmm…so you had no knowledge about being a dragon until you were older? If that's the case, you've only been aware of your power for less than a decade," Vali remarked with surprise.

Issei nodded, "Yeah…like I said, I'm not as powerful as Tiamat seems to think."

"She told me you showed her your wings and that you had a decent aura of power," Vali stated as she turned her back against the edge as well.

"Yeah, I did…just so she'd leave me alone," Issei sighed.

Vali looked at him curiously, "Which one of your parents is the dragon?"

' _ **Tell her you're an orphan and your parents adopted you,**_ ' Ddraig immediately backed Issei up with a good excuse.

' _Good idea, partner!'_ Issei thought relieved.

"Well…I'm technically adopted," Issei said calmly.

Vali nodded, "That makes sense…most dragons would probably feel ashamed of a half-breed child. How did you learn about your dragon powers then if you've only been living in Kuoh? I mean I know some of it's probably instinctual, but you seem to be stronger than what I'd expect out of a self-taught half-breed. It's seems highly unlikely that you would have learned how to conceal your power and scent on your own. Someone must have mentored you."

"What makes you think that?" Issei countered.

"I've seen some signs. Red is your favorite color for one. Your motorcycle is red, and Tiamat even told me that your wings are red…that's not a coincidence. That's a constant with you," Vali replied as she locked a serious gaze with him.

' _Oh fuck! She knows! Damn it, I can't believe she figured me out like this…_ ' Issei thought shocked. He maintained a stoic outer façade thankfully as he looked at Vali.

"I suppose," Issei replied coolly. He was waiting for Vali to call him out any moment now.

"Who mentored you, Issei? Was it the Red Dragon Emperor?" Vali asked him seriously.

' _Fuck…game over. I might as well just come clean,'_ Issei thought.

"Yeah…" he said slowly.

"The Sekiryuutei trained you then!? Where is he?! When was the last time you saw him?!" Vali practically demanded with a serious expression.

' _Wait…she doesn't think I'm the Sekiryuutei? I thought she was asking if you trained me Ddraig,_ ' Issei said to his Dragon partner.

' _ **I thought she was onto you for a moment there. It appears that she thinks someone else is the Sekiryuutei and they trained you,'**_ Ddraig replied releasing a breath he had no doubt been holding.

"Yes, he was my mentor," Issei responded after deciding to play along with Vali's false information.

Vali's eyes widened, "That's unbelievable…you know one of the Heavenly Dragon wielders? When did you meet him? How did you meet him? What's his name? What does he look like?"

"Woah woah, slow down with the questions. I met him when I was younger, and he trained me for about a year. I have no idea what his name was," Issei lied.

"What does he look like? Do you know where he went?" Vali asked seriously.

Issei looked at her skeptically, "Why do you want to know so bad?"

"Because Ophis has been looking for him," Vali answered.

Issei sighed, "Look…I have no idea where he went, but he was interested in hunting down artifacts from various mythologies to get stronger. The last thing he told me was that he was going to get stronger, so he could fight _the white one_. As for what he looks like? Well I don't really know. Every time I saw him he was wearing this red armor."

' _ **Keep it up, Issei! This is a pretty good cover story you've made so far!'**_ Ddraig cheered Issei on in his head.

"Balance Breaker Scale Mail," Vali said aloud before shaking her head, "He's training to battle the white one you said?" Vali asked.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, the White Dragon Emperor I'm assuming."

"Why did he train you then? Were you one of his underlings?" Vali said shaking her head.

"He just trained me because I'm a red dragon and he seemed to like that about me," Issei said with a shrug.

"Hmm…no wonder you're not afraid of anything around here. You are friends with the Red Dragon Emperor," Vali said with approval.

"If you say so…I think he just took pity on me for being a half-breed," Issei continued.

' _God, I can't believe how convoluted this cover story has become. Vali and Tiamat are some persistent girls_ ,' Issei thought somewhat relieved that Vali was buying his lies.

Vali frowned as she looked Issei in the eyes again, "Being a half-breed is pretty tough. I know you probably don't like talking about it, but trust me I understand."

"What's it like for you being a devil half-breed?" Issei asked switching the focus off of himself finally.

"Well it's a terrible mark of shame for most devils. It's especially bad in my case seeing as how my family is literally devil royalty," Vali sighed.

"Is that where the Lucifer surname comes from?" Issei said cocking his head in confusion.

"Yes…I'm the great-granddaughter of the original Lucifer. My family is the only one that deserves to have that title. The usurper Sirzechs Gremory wears the title of Lucifer as well. He is the current ruler of Hell. I don't care that he rules, I just don't think he should have my name. I find that pretty insulting," Vali explained.

Issei nodded, "Well that explains why you're opposed to their faction."

Vali sighed, "Yeah…but to be honest I don't really care about the politics behind it. It doesn't matter to me who rules Hell, but I still do not like the fact that those betrayers are able to wear the names of the original devil kings while their heirs still live. I mean I'm not particularly fond of the Old Satan leaders, but they do deserve their ancestral names."

"I can't exactly relate, but I see what you mean," the delinquent said as he read Vali's annoyed expression.

"You see how those Gremory and Sitri girls walk around like they're hot shit? I seriously want to put them in their place every time I walk past those haughty princesses. I might be devil royalty too, but the difference between me and them, Issei, is that I had to prove myself to my family and the Khaos Brigade. I wasn't pampered or sheltered like them. I had to fight…I had to be strong. They on the other hand can just hide behind big brother and big sister…it makes me sick. Hell has turned into such a joke with all the Rating Games and aristocratic peace-loving shit," Vali said darkly.

Issei looked at her confused, "Big brother and big sister?"

"Yes, fake Lucifer Gremory and fake Leviathan Sitri," Vali replied.

"How powerful are they?" Issei asked curiously.

Vali shrugged, "They were powerful enough to overthrow Hell. I'm pretty sure the current Satans are not pushovers. At least that's what my grandfather Rizevim believes. He doesn't seem to care as much about the usurpers ruling Hell as the other Old Satan leaders do or we would have started another civil war by now."

"Tiamat told me you were strong enough to be a Satan. I honestly believe it considering she's the strongest dragon king and she follows you around. What I don't understand is how are you so powerful if you're only a half-devil?" Issei asked.

"Because I have to be powerful if I want to live. Unlike Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, my grandfather would kill me if I wasn't stronger than all of his henchmen. Purity means a lot to him and the other devils in the Old Satan Faction. Being a half-breed means I have to work twice as hard for the half the respect. I can't count on anyone looking out for me except myself," was all Vali said in response.

"I see…" Issei trailed off as he tried to empathize with Vali's situation.

She had a certain strength about her that he really liked. Vali had a real reason to be strong and to fight. Those were the types of people he always respected the most. Other than Great Red of course, who technically was too powerful to even need a reason anymore.

"So, if purity is a big deal to your family, then how did you come about?" Issei asked curiously.

Vali looked away, "Well…my father is Rizevim's son and my mother was human. I'll spare you the sappy childhood abuse story about it, but essentially Rizevim didn't like my father for mating with a human. He also considered him weak and useless. Rizevim killed my father…a pure devil and his own son."

"You must hate him then," Issei said, "because I sure as hell would."

"I do…but not for that. My father was a petulant asshole just like all the other devil royalty I see. In the end he brought shame to the Lucifer name," Vali explained.

Issei just shook his head, "Why are you a part of that stupid faction then if you hate your family?"

"I don't hate my family…I only hate Rizevim and my father. They both bring great shame to the Lucifer name. I don't see them as being any better than that Gremory usurper. I would have killed Rizevim by now, but Ophis told me not to," Vali said strongly.

"Well that sucks," Issei said bluntly.

Vali nodded, "It does…but I can't really say no to Ophis."

"So, the Khaos Brigade is made up of this Old Satan Faction?" Issei asked.

Vali nodded, "Yes. The Old Satan Faction, the Hero Faction, The Magician Faction, and the Qlippoth are the main forces. Tiamat and I are technically freelancers under it…though the others recognize us as 'unofficial leaders'"

"So how did you convince Tiamat to betray the ruling devils to join your side?" Issei asked.

"Tiamat didn't really betray them…she has her own goals. One of which was to gain more power and freedom. I convinced her that if she followed me, she wouldn't have to answer to anyone except for Ophis and that we could get more powerful together," Vali replied.

' _ **Tiamat's real goal has always been to get stronger and richer than me and Albion,'**_ Ddraig laughed in Issei's head.

' _I find it odd that Tiamat wouldn't tell her she was looking for the Red Dragon Emperor,_ ' Issei thought skeptically.

' _ **She probably did, but considering that Vali Lucifer now thinks you're the Sekiryuutei's apprentice, she probably doesn't want to alarm you with information like that,'**_ Ddraig rationalized.

 _'Good point_ ,' Issei noted.

"So, what is your goal overall? You want to kill your grandfather and then what?" Issei asked.

Vali looked at him, "My goal after that is the same as Ophis' goal."

"Which would be?" Issei asked.

Vali smirked at him, "You're awfully curious about us today. Are you reconsidering joining?"

"Not a chance…" Issei laughed.

"Too bad…I really like having you around," Vali said with a smile.

He raised a brow at her, "Why's that?"

"Because you're one of the few people I consider a good friend," Vali answered.

"I'm just your good friend huh? Lucky me," Issei said with a sarcastic chuckle.

Vali seemed to misinterpret his words as she looked at him curiously, "You don't want to be friends?"

"I mean if that's what you want, I'm cool with being friends," Issei shrugged.

"What do you want?" Vali asked as her eyes stared into his.

Issei wasn't sure where all the strange new tension came from as Vali turned towards him and kept her gaze locked with his.

"Why do you care what I want?" Issei countered.

"That is the question now isn't it?" Vali said coolly.

"We're friends. You're actually pretty cool for a devil," Issei said trying to diffuse the unusual tension.

"Just friends huh?" Vali laughed at him.

"What?" he said confused.

Only then did he understand Vali's interpretation of this situation, _'Oh fuck…she thought I was saying I wanted to be more than friends?!_ '

"Not good friends?" Vali laughed.

"Just shut up…" Issei said with a light blush as he looked away in embarrassment.

' _What was that all about?_ ' Issei wondered.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about here anyway? I almost forgot to ask you," Issei changed the subject.

Vali's expression got serious for a moment as she bit her lip, "I…well it was mostly about that Red Dragon Emperor stuff. Call me crazy, but I almost thought you were the Red Dragon Emperor hahaha!"

"Hahaha, you did?" Issei fake laughed. His insides literally shifted hearing that statement from Vali.

"Tiamat was almost convinced of it when we were sent to find a dragon in this town. Though considering you have actual dragon wings and what not, there's no way it could have been you. Plus I hear every Sekiryuutei is a complete power hungry maniac. You don't seem like one of those," Vali laughed.

"How crazy, haha!" Issei forced another fake laugh.

' _Thank you, aniki for my wings_ ,' Issei thought to himself in praise to Great Red.

"Why does Ophis want to find the Red Dragon Emperor though?" Issei asked Vali after finishing his fake laughter.

"Damn you're persistent with asking about Ophis. Fine I'll tell you then. She's gathering all the most powerful dragons and all manner of allies so that she can fight Great Red and reclaim the Dimensional Rift. She can fill you in on the details, but that's the gist of it," Vali replied.

' _WHAT!? That fucking bitch wants to fight ANIKI!? I'll fight that entire fucking army if they even think about getting close to Red! I'll fight Ophis too! Nobody fucks with Red unless they go through me!'_ Issei fumed in his head. He did his best to maintain a neutral expression outwardly, but was noticeably troubled.

"What's wrong, Issei?" Vali asked as she examined his reaction.

"Nothing…that's just surprising news," Issei said distantly.

"Yeah I thought so too when I first heard about it. Great Red is the strongest being in the universe. But just imagine how glorious it would be to take down a beast like that. It'd be the greatest battle in history," Vali said as if fantasizing about it.

Issei frowned, "Maybe…but what if Great Red doesn't want to battle you guys. I mean he's not exactly bothering anyone in the Dimensional Rift. What do you really gain out of getting rid of him?"

"That's something you'll ask to ask Ophis," Vali replied.

' _She's going down if she fucks with Red_ ,' Issei thought furiously.

' _ **Don't be a fool, Issei…even as powerful as you are, you can't defeat Ophis,**_ ' Ddraig stated strongly.

' _Maybe not, but I can take out the rest of her little army. I wonder what Red is going to think when I tell him about this shit,'_ Issei thought shaking his head.

' _ **He'll probably think it's funny or he'll get super angry and just destroy the world preemptively,'**_ Ddraig guessed.

Issei's phone vibrated again as a message notification caught his attention.

Vali seemed curious as Issei pulled out his phone and checked it.

 _[Issei! Why haven't you replied to me today?! You're not mad at me, are you?]_ a message from Serafall read. It was filled with crying face and sad face emojis.

With reluctance, Issei closed his phone, _'Don't respond, Issei…I'm not getting that innocent little Otaku girl involved in my personal life.'_

"Who's that?" Vali asked.

"Nobody you know, just a friend of mine," Issei answered.

Vali shook her head, "You have a lot of ' _friends'_ , don't you?"

"I suppose," he said dryly.

"You have a ' _best friend'_ yet?" Vali asked with a cunning smile.

Before Issei could answer, a devil landed in front of them.

Issei and Vali both looked over surprised to see silvery grey-haired woman with braids wearing some kind of maid outfit by the looks of it. She quickly receded her wings and looked over the two of them cautiously.

"So you're Vali I take it?" the woman asked.

"I am…you need something? We were kind of in the middle of a conversation here," Vali responded rudely.

The woman looked between Vali and Issei for a moment before speaking, "You're trespassing in Gremory devil territory. We would like to know your intentions. If they are reasonable, then we shall allow your continued stay."

"Is that right? Who are you supposed to be?" Vali asked.

"My name is Grayfia Lucifuge…I speak on behalf of the Gremory household," the grey-haired woman responded.

"Lucifuge huh? How nice of you come all the way up here just to talk to me," Vali replied.

"What devil clan are you from?" Grayfia asked. Although judging by her serious expression, Issei could tell that Grayfia already knew.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Vali said carelessly.

Grayfia sighed, "Just know this…the Underworld is well aware of you and Tiamat being here. We don't know what your intentions are, but we will retaliate accordingly if you do anything to threaten this town's safety."

"I'm sure you will. If that'll be all, Issei and I were just leaving," Vali stated as she got on her motorcycle.

Issei took that as his queue to leave as well. Grayfia simply stood there staring at the duo as they drove away.

' _I should just transfer to Kyoto to finish high school. This just keeps getting worse. They don't even know I'm the Sekiryuutei yet and I'm already wrapped up in this drama,_ ' Issei thought disbelievingly as he Vali rode off.

They drove for a little while before Vali pulled over, "You want to do anything else today?"

"I kind of need to go check on the house for a while. Maybe tomorrow we can do something," Issei replied.

"Alright, well I'll catch you later then, Issei," Vali waved before driving in the other direction.

 **Issei's House**

As he pulled into his garage, Issei quickly parked and walked inside to make sure Xenovia and Irina were handling themselves well. Both were in more casual attire and sitting on his couch. Much to his amusement, Xenovia and Irina were watching a movie with a dragon in it.

Issei had never seen the movie before, but the current scene showed a knight trying to fight a massive red dragon. Both girls perked up when they saw Issei was back.

"Issei, about time you got back. I thought you were doing naughty things at some girl's house," Irina said with a nervous laugh.

"Not at her house…in a parking lot. Things were going great until this other woman showed up," Issei replied with a laugh of his own.

"Issei! Did you actually-" Irina gasped.

"Calm down, I just had to talk to her about some things," Issei said holding his hands up.

Xenovia looked at Issei curiously, "You said you don't have a girlfriend, but do you have a lover, Issei?"

"No, I don't. Why do you ask?" he said looking at Xenovia curiously.

"You would make an excellent father," she replied with a straight face. Issei could barely believe those words left her mouth as he paused for a long moment.

He blinked several times and scratched his head, "Umm…thanks I guess?"

"I find you attractive," Xenovia said bluntly.

Irina immediately gawked at her, "Xenovia! What are you saying?! You can't just say that to a boy!"

"Why not?" the bluenette asked cluelessly.

Issei laughed, "Thanks Xenovia. You're pretty good looking yourself."

"Issei!" Irina shouted his name, "y-you think she's pretty?!"

"Yeah of course I do," he replied.

Irina's face flushed red, "I-I can't believe it. You like her?"

"What's wrong, Irina?" Xenovia asked.

"N-nothing…apparently you're prettier than I am I guess," Irina said softly.

"Oh, lighten up will you, Irina? You're hot too, and I'm sure you know it," Issei said causing her face to go full crimson.

"Hot?! Are you thinking lecherous thoughts about us?! Is that part of the conditions for staying here?!" Irina gasped.

"Is it?" Xenovia asked cluelessly, "in that case, let me get these clothes off."

Issei could barely believe his eyes as Xenovia moved to start unbuttoning her shirt.

"XENOVIA! Have some shame!" Irina shouted as she stopped her friend from going any further.

"So, we're not having sex with him?" Xenovia said confused.

Issei immediately burst out laughing, "No you don't have to do that. But now that we have a moment I wanted to discuss with you two what we should do."

Irina and Xenovia turned towards Issei waiting his explanation.

"I've decided that I'll help you two get enrolled in Kuoh Academy so long as you keep this exorcist thing a secret. The devils are not going to like you if they find that out. That means you'll have to keep your weapons sealed or at the house. In order for me to get you into Kuoh Academy, I'll also have to speak with the Student Council President and convince her to push your paperwork along. I'm going to tell her that you're my childhood friends. If she or any of her devils approach you for any reason let me know and I'll have a few words with them," Issei explained.

Xenovia and Irina both nodded silently at his words.

"As for the living arrangements, I can't really let you stay longer than 2 weeks. My parents are still on vacation and that's how much longer they'll be gone. We have a spare bedroom here with one bed, I have a few sleeping mats, and there's always the couch too. Where do you two want to sleep?" Issei asked.

"Xenovia and I have shared a bed before…I suppose we can just take the spare bed then," Irina replied.

"Sounds good. Now I'm not much of a rule person, but here's some guidelines. Don't fight anyone for any reason in my house. I don't care if Sirzechs Lucifer or Kokabiel is in the damn hallway, you fight their asses outside. Also, do not touch my motorcycle for any reason EVER. In fact, same thing goes for anything in my garage. Other than that, just try not to cause drama," Issei concluded.

"We'll respect your conditions, Issei," Irina bowed her head along with Xenovia.

Issei's attention shifted back towards the TV when he saw the dragon get killed in the movie they were watching. It immediately made him think of everyone trying to kill Red. He cracked a fist, "What is this awful movie you're watching?"

"I don't know…we couldn't really find anything to watch," Irina said as she urgently tried to change the channel.

"Well if you two are going to be lounging around for a few days, I guess you can play games or something," Issei shrugged.

Xenovia looked at him curiously, "Games?"

"Yeah here, I got one for you to play," Issei said as he moved over towards his TV and put a game into his console for them.

Xenovia and Irina watched curiously as Issei grabbed the remote and changed the channel input. A moment later, the TV flashed as the game launched.

"Alright this game is called Dragon Scrolls 5: Northrim. It'll give you something to do until I can get you enrolled in Kuoh," Issei explained.

It played an intro cutscene for them as the game launched, " _We should have acted. They're already here._  
 _The Dragon Scrolls told of their return._ _Their defeat was merely a delay 'til the time after Oblivion opened, when the sons of Northrim would spill their own blood._ _But no one wanted to believe... Believe they even existed. And when the truth finally dawns... It dawns in fire!_  
 _But... there is one they fear. In their tongue, he is_ _Dovahkiin: Dragonborn!"_

"Oh this looks cool!" Irina said as the teaser intro finished and the game's menu came up.

"Yeah, that'll keep you busy for a few days," Issei laughed as he handed the controller to Xenovia.

She looked at it with fascination, "So how does this work?"

"You have to play through the intro and then you can make your own character," Issei explained.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright kids…that's a wrap for chapter 4. We're at like 12k words again so I had to stop, but at least it wasn't a cliffhanger this time. This was mostly a dialogue chapter, but we got a lot of plot bombs in this one, so I'm sure the observant among you will find them.

For starters, Raynare and friends are under Azazel's authority instead of Kokabiel's. Now that they have an alliance of convenience with the exorcists, how will that change Kokabiel's plans? How will Kokabiel react to Freed Sellzen getting killed? What will Azazel do about Kokabiel in this alternate universe?

In the canon of the show, Freed Sellzen technically worked for Raynare's group before joining Kokabiel, but I reworked that angle for a better development. I personally hate that guy so the sooner he's out of the story the better if you ask me. Hopefully his brief debut in the story didn't bother anyone. If it did…oh well. He's a disposable character anyway.

Some people were wondering about Asia…the devils ended up snatching her up, though we don't really know if she's one herself yet. Despite her being a high priority for Raynare and friends, their focus was redirected to Issei whenever they found out about him being a dragon.

The main plot bomb of the chapter however was Issei and Vali's little talk about each other's pasts. There's a lot of important stuff being said in that segment. Grayfia showing up and confronting them with the reality of the situation was another major one. Also, Issei now knows what Ophis wants to do and is not happy about it. How will the Khaos Brigade handle the news when they find out Issei is friends with Great Red? What will Great Red say when Issei tells him about all of this?

As for Xenovia and Irina…Issei likes them and trusts them more than other characters for the simple fact that they're humans. How will Sona react when Issei asks her for a favor by getting them enrolled? Some people have been wondering if Xenovia and Irina will become something more than human…well let's just say there's a reason they're playing Skyrim...I mean Northrim. BWAHAHAHAHA!

On a final note…poor Serafall. She keeps texting Issei and he won't reply. How will this affect their next meeting? It will! STUFF WILL HAPPEN! Anyways, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for chapter 5, "The Fire Rises." If you people aren't hyped up yet then you might be after reading next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Fire Rises**

 **Issei's Dream**

Flying over an unknown location, a colossal red dragon was being pursued by thousands of enemies. They consisted of everything from angels, devils, dragons, and even gods. They were led by none other than Ophis, the Infinite Ouroboros Dragon herself. Issei watched in horror as Ophis and her army battled against the mighty Red using unfathomable power.

Red viciously growled with fury as he turned to destroy the attackers. Despite massacring them by the thousands, many of the more powerful ones were protected with some type of magic that seemed to be coming from Ophis herself.

Red looked like he was overpowering them until Issei heard a terrible shriek. He turned his gaze into the horizon and saw a weird chimeric creature with 7 heads, many horns, and the features of countless animals. It was a massive being that looked like it was hundreds of meters tall.

Issei watched with complete horror as this beast leapt into the air and intercepted Red while he was battling against Ophis. Its main head bit Red on the back of the neck and tore the great dragon out of the sky.

Red unleashed cataclysmic levels of power as he tried to battle against this creature, but he was unable to do anything as its various heads all bit his wings and forelegs holding him down.

"666-kun has him held! This is our chance! Kill him now!" Issei heard someone shout.

Issei immediately went into his full power as he flew towards them. Countless legions of Ophis' army swarmed upon the Great Red Dragon and attempted to pierce his hide while the massive beast was restraining him.

"RED!" Issei yelled at the top of his lungs as he tried to reach him. To his utter horror, no matter how fast he flew, everything seemed to be getting further and further away from him.

"NO! RED!" Issei roared as his mentor faded away into the horizon.

There was nothing but darkness around Issei now as he kept flying as hard as he could.

An ominous voice filled his ears a moment later, "At last, Dragon of Dragons is no more…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! RED!" Issei roared as loudly as possible.

A moment later, Issei's entire reality shifted as he found himself on top of Great Red's head. The dragon was flying through the Dimensional Rift as if he didn't just die moments earlier.

"What?! Red?!" Issei said disbelievingly.

" **What's up kid?"** Red asked Issei as he continued flying.

"I just saw you die…" Issei said slowly as if he wasn't sure if his reality was real.

" **No, you had a lame nightmare."** Red replied curtly.

Issei blinked for a moment, "That was a dream?"

"Am I still asleep?" Issei asked uncertainly.

" **Yes, you are. That was some messed up dream of yours kid. It's not like you to get scared of anything. You're not turning soft on me are ya?"** Red asked gruffly.

"No…but you saw my dream, right? What was that? I saw Ophis and this army chasing you…and this giant monster," Issei trailed off.

Red scoffed, **"As if Ophis could catch me. I'm too fast and too tough!"**

"Well thanks for making that dream end then. I don't know what that was all about," Issei said shaking his head.

" **Hmph, that was a stupid dream. I would never have gotten caught like that. By the way, where the hell have you been, kid?! You missed this badass stunt I pulled yesterday! I flew through three collapsing dimension portals this time! The explosion was so huge that it destroyed all of those dimensions once! I even put on my dragon shades after I flew away from it. You should have been there to see it!"** Red said excitedly.

"Damn, three?! I thought you could only do that with two collapsing dimension portals at once!" Issei said amazed.

Red laughed, **"Not a chance. I'm too fucking awesome to only do two! It's a shame you were too busy with your lame human life to see it."**

"Yeah…sorry I haven't been here lately, aniki. Shit's been really lame back in my world," Issei sighed.

" **I know…I've been watching it between stunts. I'm surprised you're still undercover. You afraid the White Dragon Emperor is going to kick your ass or something?"** Red laughed.

"Hell no! I'll fuck that dude up when I see him! In fact, I'm on the verge of just going on a rampage these days. Everywhere I go it's nothing but angels and devils trying to hit me up with their sappy drama," Issei said annoyed.

" **Yeah…I'm sure you'll have a good time fighting** _ **him**_ **and all of those other whelps,"** Red chuckled.

" _ **It's almost ridiculous how much trouble Issei attracts to him when they don't even know he's the Sekiryuutei yet,"**_ Ddraig finally spoke up.

" **Heh…that'll be funny when they find out. I'll enjoy watching that,"** Red chuckled.

"You will? You think this is funny?" Issei gawked.

" **Yeah, watching a bunch of whelps try to fight you later will be amusing,"** Red laughed again.

Issei growled, "How do you figure? You hate it when weaker beings try to fight you."

" **That's because I'm too badass to fight them. They haven't even earned the right to look at me,"** Red said proudly.

"So, it's funny when they try to fight me?" Issei shook his head.

" **Damn right. I get to watch my little protégé build his reputation as a dragon,"** Red shouted.

"You seriously find this entertaining?" Issei scoffed.

" **Surprisingly, yes,"** Red chuckled again.

" _ **Regardless of that, you should probably tell Red about what we learned recently, Issei**_ , _ **"**_ Ddraig spoke up again.

"Oh…that's right," Issei said seriously, "Ddraig and I recently found out that Ophis actually is building an army to fight you, Red. That's why I thought that dream was real."

 **"I'm offended kid…you seriously think they can take me? I wasn't even moving fast or using any power in it. If that scenario was real I would have turned around and VROOOSH VROOOOM! Torched that thing and ran him over!"** Red said proudly.

Issei shook his head, "Of course I don't think they can take you…it was just a stupid dream."

" **Let me catch Ophis coming at me with some weak little army like that! She knows better than to get in my way!"** Red said with a rough growl.

"Do you think we should do anything about it?" Issei asked.

" **You're implying that I take this seriously? C'mon kid…really? Miss me with the concern, Issei…I thought you were a dragon."** Red growled.

Issei immediately shouted back, "I am a dragon! You're right, it's nothing you need to worry about. I'm just pissed they even thought of it in the first place!"

" **Then teach them a lesson.** **Watching them all fight you might be entertaining,"** Red followed up.

"Fuck that…I seriously don't want to get involved in that stuff." Issei said shaking his head.

" **Yeah well, you're the one who wanted to go to school like some riajuu dweeb instead of doing awesome stunts with me,"** Red remarked.

"It was only supposed to be for a few more years! I didn't want all this shit to start happening!" Issei protested.

" **Well since it is, make sure you do me proud out there. I'll be cheering you on the whole way kid,"** Red replied.

"Gee…thanks," Issei said sarcastically.

" **Also, make sure you're free next week. I'm going to set up a FOUR PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT and your ass better be here for it! It's gonna be one hell of a burnout!"** Red bellowed.

"I'm kind of pissed I missed the three portal one," Issei said shaking his head.

" **Yeah it was the best rush I've had in forever! There was so much destruction!"** Red grinned.

"I wouldn't miss the four portal one for the world then, aniki!" Issei said excitedly.

" **Cheer up kid…if your little human life gets too lame I'll come visit you,"** Red said with a laugh before Issei's vision faded to black

 **Issei's House**

Issei awoke to the sound of his alarm clock going off, "Good morning, senpai! I cooked you breakfast…you know I wouldn't mind cooking for you all the time if you'd like."

The delinquent sat up groggily as he looked at his alarm clock, _'10:00 a.m. Sunday…_ '

"Senpai, do you want some milk, coffee, or…me?" the alarm clock continued.

Issei looked at it for a moment. This day's girl was some kind of lovestruck cook. He turned it off before getting up and yawning loudly.

' _Damn…that dream was messed up,'_ Issei thought shaking his head.

' _ **Great Red doesn't seem to think they're a threat. I suppose if it doesn't concern him then you shouldn't let it bother you either, Issei,'**_ Ddraig replied.

' _You're right, Ddraig. I should probably focus more on my own problems for now. I wonder how I'm going to convince the president to get Xenovia and Irina enrolled?'_ Issei sighed as he got dressed and checked his phone.

It had 2 unread messages. Remarkably, neither one of them was from Serafall. Issei was somewhat surprised by that.

The first message was from his parents. It was just about how their vacation was going. He briefly glossed over it before checking the next one.

The second message was from an unknown sender, _[Is something missing in your life? Do you lack any real purpose? Some resort to bad behavior and suffer through bitter times when they lack the light in their life. Find God today, and embrace him in the Kingdom of Heaven. The faithful shall know the protection of his angels. Embrace the light and you can even get your own guardian angel.]_

Issei rolled his eyes _, 'Is this some kind of advertisement? How do the fuck do people get my number?'_

He immediately sent a reply to it, _[Whoever this is, go fuck yourself. God is dead and angels are weak.]_

Issei shook his head at the ridiculousness of the message, but was surprised when the sender messaged him back, _[You know about that, Issei Hyoudou?]_

His eyes widened seriously, _[Who the fuck is this?! How did you get this number?! Answer me!]_

 _[You're a nice person for helping those exorcists. You carry God's light within you even though he's gone.]_ the message came back.

 _[Seriously…who are you?! I'm starting to get pissed off now!]_ Issei growled as he sent a message back.

 _[Would you like to meet me?]_ the mystery person messaged back.

Issei sighed as he responded, _[For the love of God, tell me this isn't an angel…]_

 _[So, you do love god? Yes, I am an angel.]_ the sender replied.

 _[No, I don't want to meet you, and I don't care about anything you, the devils, or any other fucking faction has to say to me. Pass that along to your little chain of command and leave me the fuck alone you feathered bird bitch.]_ He sent back.

 _[I apologize for upsetting you Issei Hyoudou, but I've noticed a powerful devil following you around lately. It's a concern for me that she'll do something to harm you.]_ the angel messaged.

' _They must be talking about Vali…hmph_.' Issei thought.

 _[Why does that concern you?!]_ he messaged again.

 _[Because I'm a fan of yours…and that devil is deceiving you. Just know that if she tries anything, we'll protect you.]_ the angel replied.

 _[I don't need some sissy angel's protection…but thanks anyway.]_ Issei responded.

[ _We won't bother you, but just know that you have someone looking out for you_.] the angel messaged.

Issei immediately put his phone away and face-palmed, _'Now angels are fucking watching me?! There's no way I can go into the Dimensional Rift if I have to worry about them seeing me now. Can this get any worse?'_

' _ **I suppose you won't be able to visit Red next week for that four portals stunt of his then,'**_ Ddraig said disappointed.

' _Oh no…I'm NOT missing that. He would blow up the world if I missed it. I'll work something out to get these spying assholes off me. We have to be there for that awesome move!'_ Issei thought seriously.

' _ **Heaven seems concerned about your friend, Vali,'**_ Ddraig noted.

' _They likely know she's Lucifer's great granddaughter. I mean that is a concerning thing for an angel I imagine. I just don't know why one's contacting me…through my phone no less! And what was with that stupid advertisement message? How lame...'_ Issei groaned.

' _ **At least angels leave people alone for the most part…fallen angels on the other hand never go away,'**_ Ddraig sighed.

A moment after Ddraig's statement, Issei heard his doorbell ringing. He left his room and walked outside into the living room.

To his surprise he saw both Xenovia and Irina sitting on the couch already awake.

"I'm looking at the guide here and it says you have to find this bow before you can kill that vampire guy. It says you need three dragon scrolls to progress," Irina said as she flipped through a guide of the game.

Issei looked at them amused, "You two having fun? Did you even go to sleep last night?"

"Yeah, we slept for like 3 hours," Xenovia replied as her eyes remained glued on the screen.

Her character was unsurprisingly wielding a two-handed sword and was essentially some kind of templar. Much to Issei's amusement, Irina and Xenovia were enraptured in the game.

"Wait…Xenovia isn't it Sunday?!" Irina gasped out of the blue.

"Oh…you're right," Xenovia said seriously, "we should pray…later."

"Well I mean it's not like we can go anywhere…and the only church in town is fallen angel territory," Irina trailed off as she focused back on the guide.

"I'm sure God will understand," Issei laughed. A moment later his doorbell rang again.

"Who is that?" Irina perked up curiously.

"It's probably one of those fallen angels," Xenovia said as she remained affixed to the screen.

Issei went to go check the front door causing Xenovia and Irina to look over curiously. As he opened it, he saw two individuals he was not expecting to see.

One was the red-haired devil princess, Rias Gremory, and the other looked like one of her followers. The other girl had long black hair that was up in a ponytail and a passive expression.

Issei simply stared at them for a moment almost in disbelief, _'Did they seriously just show up at my house like this?'_

The delinquent didn't say anything during the long pause and neither did the two devil girls. Standing in his doorway still, he slowly began to close the door as they stared at each other.

Only then did Rias finally speak as her face got serious, "Wait, Hyoudou-san, may I have a moment?"

"No," Issei said bluntly as he fully closed the door on her.

"Who was that, Issei?" Irina asked anxiously.

He shrugged, "Nobody."

Much to his annoyance the doorbell rang again. He ignored it for a moment until someone started spamming the doorbell button repeatedly causing his house to ring.

"It doesn't sound like nobody," Irina said shaking her head.

With reluctance Issei opened the door again and saw the black-haired girl with the ponytail repeatedly hitting the doorbell button with a light smile on her face.

Issei immediately grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop, "Will you fucking stop that?!"

"I understand you're not really a fan of devils, and I apologize for Akeno's behavior. We didn't come here to start trouble for you," Rias spoke up.

Akeno tried to pull her hand back, but couldn't as Issei held her wrist tightly.

The ponytail girl stared at him briefly with a serious expression. She used slightly more force with her devil strength, but even still couldn't pull her hand away.

Finally, Issei let go of her wrist after he had proven his point.

He sniffed the air several times and looked at Akeno, "You smell like a bird, devil girl."

Akeno's eyes widened with shock as Issei shook his head, "I know that smell."

Turning his head towards Rias, Issei sighed, "What do you want? Why are you at my house again?"

"So, you did sense me that last time…" Rias trailed off.

"You're not exactly subtle," He replied.

"I apologize…but I was curious about you. I've seen you around Kuoh Academy a lot. You seem like an interesting person," she followed up.

Issei took this opportunity to fully examine the devil princess up close. He had never actually taken the time to look at her for more than few seconds. She was extremely beautiful and had the most gorgeous color of crimson hair. He wasn't a fan of the devil princess, but Issei did like her hair.

Rias looked at him confused, "What? What are you staring at?"

"You just have pretty hair…red is my favorite color, specifically crimson," Issei remarked.

"O-oh…" Rias said surprised by his compliment.

She had heard all sorts of bad things about Issei's mean reputation and was not expecting a compliment like that out of him.

"There was something I wanted to ask you," Rias said after a long pause.

"I'm not interested in joining your peerage…I already told Sitri that I'm not interested in being her servant or yours," Issei replied bluntly.

Rias seemed a bit taken aback by Issei's comment but looked down for a moment, "I understand that…I am aware of your dislike for devils as well. But…this is about something else."

"Alright, what?" Issei asked.

"I'm…engaged," Rias began.

Issei looked at her for a moment and scratched his head, "Umm…good for you? Why does that matter to me? Am I invited to the wedding or something? Am I the DJ? Is this a bachelorette party?"

"I don't want to marry him…" Rias followed up.

He looked at her confused, "How is that my problem? Why are you telling me?"

"I recently challenged my fiancé Riser Phenix to a Rating Game so that I could cancel the arranged marriage. In case you're unaware a Rating Game is a battle between two devil peerages. Unfortunately for me, I don't really have a full peerage, so I am at a huge disadvantage. To top that off, Riser has a high win ratio in the games…I was looking for someone to help me and Sona suggested you might," Rias explained.

"How would I be any help to you?" he said shaking his head.

"You're a dragon…and dragons are highly immune to fire. Riser's peerage specializes in fire. You're also a neutral party and Sona believes you're more powerful than you seem," Rias explained her logic.

"Sitri must think really highly of me if she assumed I would help you. I have way better things to do than help some devil princess play runaway bride. I already told you, I'm not joining your peerage," Issei stated strongly.

"You wouldn't be joining…but in the event of a Rating Game in which one member does not possess a full peerage, that devil is allowed to recruit temporary fills so long as it's approved by both sides. I've been given permission to recruit anyone who will fight for me," Rias explained.

"Not a chance. I gain nothing out of helping you," Issei stated as he crossed his arms.

"I don't expect you to do it for free. I'm willing to give you whatever you want for it…" Rias trailed off unsure if it was actually a good idea to make that offer.

"Whatever I want huh? You shouldn't make promises like that to people like me…" Issei laughed at her.

Rias immediately got a flushed face as she looked away, "I'm desperate here. What do you want? If it's something I can give you, I will."

"Is that right? Tell me princess…what exactly do you have to offer me?" Issei asked testing her.

The red-haired devil looked at him concerned, "Money…political support…favors. Is there something you want from me?"

"You're being awfully vague there…tell me Rias Gremory, what do you think a guy like me wants from a girl like you?" Issei continued.

Akeno's face was plastered with disbelief. She immediately voiced her concern, "Rias, you don't have to do this…not with a jerk like him."

Rias looked away from him, "Is it sex you want?"

Issei shook his head and laughed at her, "Oh my god…you're seriously that desperate? I didn't think some haughty devil like you would ever stoop to my level to get out of an arranged marriage."

"Don't laugh at her, Hyoudou-san. You should feel ashamed of trying to sexually exploit Rias," Akeno said disapprovingly.

"I'm not exploiting her at all. I never said that's what I wanted…I'm just laughing because you assumed you were doing some amazing favor for me by lowering yourself to my level," Issei replied.

"Do you really think so poorly of me?" Rias asked sadly, "offending your status was not my intention."

Issei crossed his arms, "Answer me seriously then. Why are you so determined to not marry this guy? This isn't this just some game where you're playing hard to get with him is it?" Issei asked bluntly.

Rias shook her head, "He's a complete asshole and a selfish prick…he's arrogant, condescending, and bigoted. He's the complete stereotype of devil nobility. I can't be with someone like that. I would sooner be with someone who wasn't even a devil."

"Someone like me, you mean?" Issei asked causing Rias to look down shamefully.

She shook her head, "I have nothing against you. I don't know why you hate me so much."

"I don't hate you, Gremory. Believe me you would know it if I did. I'm just pointing out that you think you're too good for everyone, and I find that annoying. This guy you're marrying sounds like a normal pure-blooded devil to me. How is he different than any other asshole you'd end up with?" Issei asked sternly.

"Because I don't love him…and he's just terrible. He's everything that's wrong with devil society. I know it sounds selfish, but I want to marry someone I love," Rias said sadly.

"So, you want me to go out of my way and fight your fiancé…for you? What kind of shit is that? It's not like I want to marry you, so why do you expect chivalry out me?" Issei shook his head.

"I don't…but I-" Rias trailed off unsure of what to say.

Issei shook his head, "Getting married to some shithead is probably the only bad thing that'll ever happen to you. There are real people with real problems out there and you're standing here like some spoiled little brat having a pity party about marrying some rich douchebag? Deal with it yourself, Gremory."

"I'm sorry for bothering you then…" Rias said dejectedly as she turned to leave.

Akeno stood there for a moment as Rias was leaving. She shook her head at him, "You're wrong about Rias. Not all devils are like that…Rias isn't like that. She's not the person you think she is. If you actually believed that devils were that bad then you wouldn't hang around that girl, Vali."

"Vali actually fights her own battles instead of asking for people to save her. I'll respect your master when she stops acting like some damsel in distress. That aside, Vali's only half-devil…I'm sure someone like you would understand there's a difference." Issei said causing Akeno's eyes to widen.

"W-what did you just say? Someone like me?!" Akeno gasped.

"Don't feel too bad…I actually like fallen angels more than devils," Issei said as he closed the door on her.

As he turned around, Issei saw both Xenovia and Irina standing up and staring at him anxiously. He was somewhat surprised that they didn't interrupt his conversation at any point.

"Were those devils?" Xenovia asked Issei seriously, "what did they want?"

"A knight in shining armor," Issei said dryly.

Xenovia looked confused, "Huh?"

"Did they ask you for help or something, Issei?" Irina asked curiously.

"Yeah, I told them no," Issei said as he sat down.

"I thought the devils feared you?" Xenovia said cocking her head.

"They do…but for some reason they keep trying to get me to help them with stuff. It's really annoying," Issei sighed.

Irina smiled, "I'm glad that the devils fear you…it makes staying here feel safer."

"Well you two have fun with the game, I'm going to go work on my bike in the garage. Give me a shout if you need anything," Issei waved as he grabbed a quick snack out of his fridge.

A moment later he went into his garage. He opened it for better lighting and went over to his toolbox to grab a few tools.

He looked at his bike for a moment, ' _Now…how to make you faster?_ '

Issei spent the next few hours working on his motorcycle. He was specifically putting on an extra exhaust so that he could spew more flames with his enhanced turbo. As he worked through the gas line of his bike he eventually checked the tank for any changes.

' _Hmm…that custom fuel I made seems to be working alright. I'm glad it didn't explode in there or damage the lines,_ ' he thought as he saw no visible damage.

While working on his bike, he thought about how he was going to make it to the dimensional rift undetected for next week.

He shook his head deep in thought, _'I wonder…is it possible to use illusions like Red does?'_

' _ **What are you talking about, Issei?'**_ Ddraig questioned him.

' _Hear me out for a minute, Ddraig…but Red gifted me with some of his own power. Do you think it's possible that I could use it for creating illusions like he can?'_ Issei asked.

Ddraig thought for a moment, _**'That's actually an interesting idea. If you could, then it would work in a similar manner to how to you restrict your scent and power signature. Granted for you to project an illusion like that, you would first need to know who that angel watching you is.'**_

 _'Why's that?' Issei wondered._

 _ **'Think about how you restrict your scent and power...it's willful. You have to imagine it. In order to restrict a being, you would have to know who they are in order to affect their perceptions. At least that's how I would imagine it to work. Granted I'm just as uncertain as you are about how Great Red's power actually works. At the very least it would be good to know who that angel is,'** Ddraig responded._

' _You're a genius, Ddraig…I'll message that angel right now and find out who it is,'_ Issei laughed.

A moment later he pulled out his phone and sent a message on his phone to the mystery angel, _[I've changed my mind…I want to meet you. Would you be interested in coming by my house today?]_

 _[Did you have a change of heart?]_ the angel messaged back within thirty seconds.

 _[No, but I'd like to at least know what my stalker looks like.]_ Issei sent back.

Not even thirty seconds passed before he got a reply, _[I would love to meet you! Be right there!]_

Issei sighed as he anticipated the lame meeting he was about to have. He walked inside his living room and sat down on the couch next to Xenovia and Irina. The two of them were still deeply invested in the game.

"Fus Ro Dah!"

"Fus Ro Dah!" the two girls shouted in unison with their character on the screen.

"This dragon shouting power is amazing…I wish I could do it in real life," Xenovia said aloud.

Irina looked over at the delinquent with a grin, "Hey, Issei, are you a dragonborn?"

Xenovia turned to face him as well with anxious eyes. He looked between the two girls and laughed, "I guess you could say so."

"That might explain why you're a dragon," Irina deduced with a fun smile.

"Hey, Issei…I've been meaning to ask you something since yesterday," Xenovia said slowly.

He looked at the bluenette curiously, "Alright, what is it?"

"It's about how you destroyed that Excalibur with your bare hand…are dragons really that powerful? That fallen angel said there were dragons even more powerful than God. Is that really true? It can't be…can it?" Xenovia asked doubtfully.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you what's right or wrong, Xenovia, but all dragons are powerful. The one Raynare and Kalawarner spoke of is called Great Red…he's the greatest of them all."

"Is he evil?" Xenovia wondered.

Issei shook his head, "No…but he's not really good either. Beings like him are just powerful and free to do anything they want. They're above what most people understand as morality I guess you could say."

"Is it possible for a dragon to be faithful to God or on good terms at least?" Xenovia wondered.

"It's possible for a dragon to do anything, Xenovia…" Issei replied.

A moment later, Issei heard a knock on the door.

"Do people come by your house like this all the time?" Irina asked shaking her head.

Issei sighed, "Yes…and it's annoying."

Taking a deep breath, Issei prepared himself to meet this angel. He slowly opened the door and was met with a blinding sight.

Outside of his house he saw a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair had curls on the ends of it and it looked almost radiant. She had a purely innocent smile and was wearing golden white armor.

She had 12 feathery white wings on her back and had a diadem across her forehead.

Issei blinked several times almost blinded by the light, "I should have worn my shades…"

The angel smiled at him with genuine happiness, "I'm so glad you wanted to meet me today."

"Umm…1 2 3 4…6…12 wings? Who the hell are you?!" Issei gawked.

"I'm the seraph Gabriel, nice to meet you Issei Hyoudou," she introduced herself.

Issei looked around her, "Uhh…you should probably come inside before any of my neighbors see you."

"Thank you," she said as she entered his home.

Xenovia and Irina nearly lost their dignity as the two yelped.

"Gabriel-sama!" Irina bowed low immediately.

Xenovia tossed her controller down as she did the same.

"Great seraph, Gabriel…what brings you here?" Xenovia asked humbly.

"You don't have to bow, I just came to meet Issei," the angel replied warmly.

Irina and Xenovia exchanged disbelieving looks before Irina spoke, "Seriously?! W-what for?!"

"He said he needed a guardian angel…and so I came," the seraph explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Issei shook his head, "No, I didn't say that…I said I wanted to meet you. I never agreed to that guardian angel shit."

"You cuss a lot, Issei Hyoudou, you're a bad boy," Gabriel bopped him lightly on the head with a smile. It was almost as if she wasn't even serious about scolding him.

He stared at her confused, "Is something wrong with you?"

"No, I feel fine today. In fact, I am in a great mood right now," Gabriel answered his question out of context.

"Issei! You can't say that to a seraph!" Irina gasped.

"It's okay Irina Shidou…Issei is a very special person. He's allowed to speak to me any way he wishes," Gabriel explained.

"I think you're the _special_ one here," he laughed as he shook his head.

"You really think so? You think I'm special too?" Gabriel asked him with a clueless happy smile.

' _Is she socially retarded? She has no idea I just called her stupid…_ ' Issei thought bewildered.

"I know so! You're a very _special_ girl…but I guess with looks like that you don't need much else," he said with a grin.

"You like my looks? Thank you, Issei Hyoudou," Gabriel smiled at him.

"I never expected meeting an angel leader to be this amusing," Issei laughed at Gabriel's ignorance to his subtle humor.

"Issei! Don't insult her like that!" Irina protested.

"Are you insulting a seraph?" Xenovia said shocked.

Gabriel smiled, "It's alright, girls…I'm not insulted by Issei Hyoudou's attraction to me. In fact, I find it flattering that he likes me. I'm a huge fan of his as well."

Issei, Xenovia, and Irina all simultaneously jaw-dropped at Gabriel's remark.

Xenovia looked confused, "What?"

"Gabriel-sama, Issei was…making fun of you," Irina tried to explain.

"Making fun with me? Is that true, Issei Hyoudou? Do I make it fun for you?" Gabriel asked.

"No, you don't…and I am not attracted to you either!" Issei immediately protested.

Gabriel looked at him confused, "You're not? Didn't you just say you liked my looks and think I was special?"

"I…yeah, but it's called a joke. Are all angels this clueless?" Issei asked Irina and Xenovia.

"She's a pure being, Issei…normal angels don't typically experience or understand negative emotions like that," Irina replied.

"Man, I thought Gabriel was like the coolest angel in the bible. I wasn't expecting…this airhead," Issei said as he looked at the seraph disbelievingly.

"I'm your favorite angel?!" Gabriel asked excitedly.

Issei sighed, "No…forget I said that."

"I'm overjoyed that you think so highly of me, Issei." Gabriel smiled.

He shook his head, "This just keeps getting weirder."

"Well, I must say that I think you're a good person, Issei. Looking after these girls in their time of need is a selfless act of purity. You're a benevolent person deep down inside, aren't you?" Gabriel smiled.

"Oh my god just stop already…" Issei cringed, "you're making me sound like some kind of lame white knight hero."

"Did I offend you?" Gabriel said confused.

"Forget this…why is a seraph watching over me? Can you explain that to me, Gabriel?" Issei asked.

"Oh of course. You have a powerful devil deceiving you and it's been noticed by heaven," Gabriel explained.

Issei deadpanned, "Do you even know what deception is?"

"Of course I do. It's projecting false information and emotions in order to change another's disposition. Lying is a common feature of deception," Gabriel answered.

"So, you would know if someone was deceiving you then?" he asked.

"As a seraph, I believe I am well acquainted in detecting such things," Gabriel nodded.

"Yeah...somehow, I doubt that," Issei trailed off.

Xenovia looked at Gabriel concerned, "A powerful devil is deceiving him? Do you know anything about that Issei?"

"Yes, I do. That devil girl isn't causing me any trouble; besides I know all about her. She's not deceiving me…we're friends," Issei replied.

"You know? Oh…I suppose I misunderstood then. She does seem to like you more than I would expect from a devil of her class," Gabriel said uncertainly.

"Yeah, I know all about it…now respectfully, I'd like you to mind your own business. Is that too much to ask?" Issei sighed.

"Of course, Issei Hyoudou. I will not interfere then if you know about her. I hope you choose not to join her group," Gabriel replied.

"Not a chance…" he said shaking his head.

"Good…I'll be watching you, Issei. You have my blessing," Gabriel smiled before teleporting away in a flash of light.

After she was gone, Irina practically tackled him, "Issei, you dummy!"

"I can't believe a seraph just showed up here…" Xenovia said still recovering from the situation.

Irina eventually gave up on trying to push or pound on Issei as he didn't budge at all from her. She looked up at him curiously, "She seemed to like to you. A seraph is a great judge of one's character…if you're liked by Heaven, then that's a blessing! You're blessed, Issei!"

"Yay...lucky me," he said half-heartedly.

"You have a seraph's blessing…you must be in God's good graces too," Xenovia remarked.

"Yeah…I'm sure I am," Issei trailed off.

"I wish I would have thought to ask her about God!" Irina said shaking her head in frustration.

Issei sighed, "Well that was interesting…I'm going to go take a shower in the dark."

Without another word, Issei went to the shower, got undressed and stepped into the hot pouring water. As he stood there, he couldn't help but feel weirded out that some angel was watching him.

He shook his head, _'Ddraig…that illusion spell is a fucking priority! We're working on it for the rest of the day. Pure being or not, that blonde bimbo is not going to spy on me.'_

' _ **Good plan, partner…the sooner that's done the better.'**_ Ddraig replied.

 **The Next Day Kuoh Academy**

Issei spent the rest of his night working on creating an illusion spell. He was so adamant about making it work that he stayed up most of the night.

He let out a sigh of relief as he drove his motorcycle to school, _'I'm so glad I finally made an illusion spell to mask me from that dumb angel. It's going to take some work to make an illusion for my power, but I should be able to use a more refined version of this spell when I go to see Red next week.'_

As he rode up into school, Issei met with Vali and Tiamat. The majority of the day was fairly typical with no notable encounters or odd conversations of note.

As the day came to a close however, Issei waited for Vali and Tiamat to leave before deciding to approach Sona.

' _Alright…here goes nothing. Let's go talk to Sitri in her office,_ ' Issei thought to himself as he walked into the Student Council Room and closed the door behind himself.

Much to his dissatisfaction, almost all the Kuoh devils were in there. They looked shocked by his sudden appearance and all stared at him with anxiousness and a bit of disdain.

"Hyoudou-san?" Sona looked at Issei disbelievingly, "what are you doing in here?"

Issei looked around at them awkwardly, "Hey don't mind me…just here to talk to the president."

Sona looked at him confused, "You want to talk…to me?"

"Yeah you know…in private?" Issei requested as everyone stared at him in silence.

Rias looked completely depressed, Akeno had a glare on her face, Koneko had a blank stare, and Kiba was neutral. Most of Sona's peerage had neutral expressions, but Tsubasa had a shameful smile and a light blush.

"We were kind of in the middle of something right now…Rias' Rating Game is going to start soon," Sona replied.

"Oh…well how long is that going to take?" Issei asked curiously.

Several of the devils looked at him with disbelief for his upbeat callousness.

"Probably an hour or two," Sona said, "what do you want from me?"

"My childhood friends want to get enrolled in Kuoh, but they have weird backgrounds and you know it's kind of difficult to get people transferred here without a little sway. I was wondering if you'd be willing to push their paperwork through for me," Issei requested.

"Childhood friends?" Sona blinked several times.

"Yeah…they're only humans. Nothing you guys need to worry about," the dragon elaborated.

"I suppose I could…" Sona said slowly. She looked surprised that Issei would ask for something so simple from her.

"Why should she? You're not willing to help us, so why should we help you?" the white-haired freshman devil questioned Issei.

"Koneko makes a good point," Kiba agreed.

' _Oh god…don't even tell me they're about to make me help Gremory to get Xenovia and Irina enrolled._ ' Issei rolled his eyes.

Sona looked at Issei curiously, "I would be willing to do that for you Issei Hyoudou…if you would be willing to fight on Rias' behalf."

"Dang way to corner me like this. I should have waited until tomorrow to ask..." Issei sighed.

Before anyone could say another word, an orange-red summoning circle appeared in the room. Flames shot out of it a moment later followed by 16 individuals.

This group of arrivals were all devils, but only one of them was male. The male was wearing a hideous burgundy suit in Issei's opinion. He had medium length blonde hair, blue eyes, and looked a bit scruffy. His coat was open and his white undershirt was unbuttoned at the top as well.

He had a proud and cocky smile on his face as he spoke up, "Oh, Rias darling, are you prepared for our Rating Game?"

"Yes…" Rias replied stoically.

"Oh, what's with the long face, darling? You're the one who wanted this after all," he smiled petulantly.

Rias glared at him, "Even if you win, I'll never love or respect you."

"You don't have to love Riser, darling…you just have to belong to him. Once Riser has Sirzech's baby sister in his harem, he'll be the most respected young devil in all of Hell. Then Riser Phenex will have the greatest harem in the world," the devil bragged.

' _Holy fuck this guy is arrogant…'_ Issei thought as he watched Riser throw an arm around the sitting Rias.

Riser Phenex turned to look at Rias' peerage with a disgustingly proud grin, "Is this your peerage, Rias? How cute…you don't even have half of Riser's. Not that it would matter anyway…because Riser is invincible!"

"Wow…is this dickhead actually referring to himself in third person?" Issei asked bluntly with an amused chuckle.

The blonde devil looked at Issei cockily, "And who might you be? Are you one of Rias' temporary fills? How amusing…she only found one? Hahaha!"

"I wouldn't laugh at him, Riser…Issei is half-dragon and he's not a pushover," Sona spoke up calmly.

The blonde man laughed and even pointed at Issei, "A half-dragon?! Ahahaha!"

Issei felt his blood pressure rising, but maintained his cool as he replied, "I don't see how that's funny."

"You think a half-dragon is a match for the mighty house of Phenex?! Even a full dragon wouldn't stand a chance against Riser! Look at this weakling! What a joke to even think some half-breed dragon would be a match for Riser's ultimate harem peerage…let alone Riser himself!" the blonde man laughed.

Issei boiled in anger as he stood there for a moment enduring Riser's laughter. He maintained his outer cool, but inside he was starting to get pissed. Nobody laughed at him like that and got away with it.

' _This guy might be the biggest piece of shit devil I've ever seen…Gremory was not exaggerating,'_ Issei thought angrily.

"A harem peerage? Is that why you're surrounded by weak little girls?" Issei laughed at him.

Riser glared at Issei, "What was that, you trash? Have you something bad to say about Riser's ultimate harem? You're just jealous of Riser's power and status. You'll never have the power, the women, or the fame that I do!"

Issei looked at him amused, "Wow so you do know to talk in first person…and here I thought you were fucking retarded. Although you must be out of your fucking mind if you think I envy anything about some bratty little bitch like you. All I see are 16 devil girls in front of me. You're the joke here, pal."

"You dare to insult Riser-sama's manhood?!" one of Riser's knights protested angrily.

Issei looked at them and smirked, "Yes, I dare. Also, you're delusional, you flamer, if you think this is the ultimate harem."

"Flamer?! What did you just call me?!" Riser got angry.

"Would you prefer Riser-chan? Or maybe even Riser-tan?" Issei asked with a grin.

"You have no idea who you're messing with," a blonde girl with drill curls piped up, "we're phoenixes…immortal birds of fire. Riser Onii-sama will wipe the floor with some punk like you!"

Issei looked at the blonde girl for a moment and shook his head distracted, "Are those actual drill curl twin-tails!? I've never seen a drill hair girl before haha. Wait…did you just call Riser your brother? What kind of guy puts his sister in his harem?"

The blonde drill haired girl got embarrassed as Issei laughed at her. He smirked at Riser's sister, "Are you one of those overly attached imoutos?"

"Shut up you bastard!" she shouted at him with a flushed face.

Riser sneered as he cut into the conversation again, "Riser has the ultimate harem, which includes his baby sister, Ravel…but Riser does not engage in romantic pursuit with her."

"I mean, I would understand if you did…you gotta keep the devil blood pure right? Too bad though…she's actually the cutest girl in your harem," Issei laughed.

"W-what?!" Ravel Phenex protested with embarrassment.

"You think I'm the best-looking girl in Riser-sama's peerage?!" Ravel gawked, "Gross!"

"Let's look at them really quickly shall we, Riser-chan? Hmm…another soapland model with no bra. Nice pair though," Issei noted as he walked over and looked at Yubelluna.

The purple haired woman seemed confused by his remark but said nothing as Issei looked over the others.

He smirked, "Whoa is that Chun Li back there?!"

Xuelan, one of riser's rooks, looked around uncertainly until it was obvious that Issei was talking about her.

"Who, me?" the dark-haired girl asked confused.

"She's got a nice pair of legs…not as good as the real Chun Li though, but the rest of her makes up for it," Issei remarked as he looked next to her and spotted a masked girl.

"What are you trying to be? Phantom of the Opera meets Punk?" Issei asked Isabela as he looked her up and down.

The rook got embarrassed by Issei's proximity and looked away.

"That's a rad hairdo though…I like the pants too," Issei remarked as he moved on.

Finally, his eyes rested on cat ears atop two girls. He stopped in his tracks and groaned in annoyance, "Really man?! You just had to bring cat girls into my fucking town?! You gotta be kidding me."

"What's wrong with Nekomata, nya?!" the red haired one questioned with hostility.

"Miss me with the Nya stuff alright catgirl?" Issei said annoyed.

Koneko visibly frowned at Issei's comment about the Nekomata twins.

"This harem actually had potential…too bad, Riser-chan, it'll never be the greatest now," Issei said shaking his head at the bewildered high-class devil.

Ravel voiced her opinion immediately, "Who do you think you are judging us all like that?! You're a gross creep!"

"Gross? How am I gross?" Issei asked amused.

"You're saying all this lewd stuff about us right in front of my brother! He'll kick your ass!" Ravel shouted.

"Will he? Hehehe what a siscon! I still can't believe you put your sister in your harem, haha! And you think I'm gross? I mean hey, I'm in to the twin-tails look too, but that's just too funny," Issei laughed again.

"Hyoudou-san…you like twin-tail hair on girls?" Tsubasa spoke up blushing.

He looked over at her, "Who doesn't? I'm also a fan of blue hair."

Tsubasa immediately covered her face in embarrassment as she turned around. Every other blue haired girl in the room sent a questioning glare towards Issei. This included one of Riser's pawns.

Sona and most of her peerage looked shocked by Issei's remark. Saji shook his head confused, "I've never seen Hyoudou laugh…he doesn't even take this seriously."

"I heard he was mean, I wasn't expecting him to be funny," an auburn haired girl with short twin-tailed hair laughed.

"He's really getting in their heads though. This is pretty amusing," a white hared girl with bangs remarked.

"I didn't take him for a guy that liked twin-tails...did you, Tomoe?" the white haired girl asked the other.

She shook her head, "No, Momo, I didn't."

' _I don't think you would like twin-tails if you met my sister, Hyoudou-san,_ ' Sona thought to herself.

Everyone watched with disbelief as Issei walked over and began to twirl his finger around one of Ravel's drill curls. He spoke up with fascination, "Wow...how do you get it to curl like this?"

"Don't touch my hair!" Ravel protested as she tried to slap him.

He easily caught her wrist and stared at her for a moment, "What's your name, phoenix girl? Ravel? You're a fiery little lady aren't you?"

Ravel didn't answer him as she froze up in his gaze. She was obviously not used to the type of male attention she was getting as her face got flushed.

"Don't touch my sister, you half-breed filth!" Riser got angry now.

"Or what, siscon? You gonna make me? If I wanted I could just take her from you," Issei said hoping to piss Riser off even more.

Ravel's face went fully crimson as she felt her heart skip a beat, "Y-you'll what?! You're a barbarian! I'm not some prize you can just take away!"

"In fact, while I'm at it, fuckface, Why don't I just take them all away from you. How would you like that? Then I'll turn you into a girl and make you wait on me in a maid dress like the little bitch that you are!" Issei laughed darkly.

Every devil in the room went silent from Issei's threat with only his laughter filling the room.

"I'm going to murder you on the field!" Riser said angrily.

"If you say so," Issei said shaking his head.

C'mon girls, let's go!" Riser said angrily as he walked over towards his peerage and teleported away.

After they were gone, every devil left in the room stared at Issei disbelievingly.

After a short awkward silence, Rias finally spoke up confused, "You're willing to fight for me?"

"Not for you…I just don't like that guy. When does this game start, anyway?" Issei asked.

"Right now, actually. If you're fighting for her, get in the teleportation circle, Hyoudou-san," Sona answered as Rias' peerage all got up and moved to a red circle. Issei walked over towards it casually. Rias' peerage all stared at him with curious anxiousness as they waited to get transported to the battlefield.

Upon getting teleported to the Rating Game battleground, Rias' peerage all turned and looked at Rias awaiting orders.

She looked at Issei for a moment, "Before I say anything else, I just wanted to thank you for helping me, Hyoudou-san. Whatever your reasons are…I'm grateful."

"You weren't lying…that guy is a piece of shit. I'd sooner marry your brother," Issei noted as he sat down on the couch.

The Rating Game Battleground was a replica of Kuoh Academy, and they appeared to be in the lookalike of the Occult Research Club building.

"Why did you say all those things to Riser? Were you trying to piss him off? He's already going to be hard enough to defeat," Koneko asked Issei.

Issei shrugged at her and spoke sarcastically, "Yeah I'm sure he will be."

"The way you were talking to him sounded like you didn't even take him seriously. Do you think you're actually a match for a high-class devil? I hope you weren't just talking out of your ass." Koneko asked concerned.

"I'm soooo scared," an effeminate looking boy in a girl's uniform cried.

Issei didn't care enough about him to even wonder what he was or why he was dressed like that.

"We need to pick off Riser's pieces slowly before we move in to engage his queen and…Hyoudou, where are you going?" Rias asked concerned.

"I'm kind of busy today. I'm just going to speed things along so Sitri and I can do that paperwork," Issei said casually as he began to leave.

Akeno looked at Rias confused, "Is it okay for him to just go off on his own like that?"

"We're lucky he's even here to help…let him do what he wants. We'll work around him and pick off Riser's pieces. Kiba, go scout around the gym and try to catch anyone who overextends near the main building. Koneko is going to go through the gym to draw them in. Akeno, I want you to wait until she gathers enough in there and then destroy the building once Koneko gives you the signal she's fled. That should hopefully draw out Riser's queen. When that happens, come back to me Kiba in case Riser sends pieces directly for me."

"What about you, Rias?" Akeno asked.

"Gasper and I will stay further back," Rias replied, "try to find Riser's queen as soon you destroy the gym, Akeno. Also, all of you take these so I can communicate with you in the field."

Rias handed all of them small orb like objects to put in their ears.

"You got it, Rias," the black-haired girl replied as she went outside and went into the air spreading her devil wings. Moments later her body was enveloped in a Miko outfit.

Meanwhile, Issei was walking directly across the field with a casual expression on his face.

As Koneko, Akeno, and Kiba all moved outside to disperse, they each saw him walking directly towards Riser's territory from their various vantage points.

"What's he doing?!" Koneko said shaking her head before going into the gym.

Further back and in the air, Akeno spoke into her communication ear piece, "Umm, Rias…Hyoudou is just walking directly towards them."

Rias' voice came over the magical comm, "Just let him do his thing, Akeno…stick to the plan."

Up in the sky Akeno spotted more than two thirds of Riser's peerage moving in to block Issei, "Umm…okay, but they seem to be going for him instead. Should I wait or go back him up?"

Before Akeno could get a response from Rias, a torrent of explosive fire magic caught her off guard nearly blasting her out of the air.

She turned her head in shock to see Riser's Queen Yubelluna flying across from her.

"Riser's queen is engaging me directly," Akeno reported to Rias.

"Try to take her out, Akeno, but fall back if things get too hot. We can't afford to lose anyone!" Rias said back to her.

"This is Kiba…we have one knight and three pawns coming around my way. I might be able to hold them off, but I'll need help." Kiba voiced in.

"Koneko, go help Kiba," Rias ordered.

"What about Hyoudou?" Koneko asked concerned.

"He'll be okay. Yuuto needs you more right now," Rias said back urgently.

"I'm on the way!" Koneko replied.

As Issei was walking he looked back and saw Akeno fighting Yubelluna in the air. He didn't really get much of a chance for up skirt looks as a loud thud caught his attention.

Looking forward, Issei saw many girls blocking his path. The one who looked like Chun Li shook her head at him disbelievingly, "Are you stupid or something?! You think you can just walk right through us to get to Riser-sama?!"

"Yeah, I do," Issei said nonchalantly as he kept walking.

The angry rook charged in and attempted to deliver powerful flaming kicks into Issei. He effortlessly blocked her kicks as he kept walking much to her annoyance.

"You're not getting past us!" Xuelan shouted angrily as she swung her leg in for a super kick.

Issei caught her leg with little effort much to her disbelief. A moment later he touched her thigh, "Hmm…muscular, but soft. Speaking of butt…" Issei said causing her to swing a leg around his neck and attempt to put him in a hold.

She was now on his shoulders trying to put Issei in a hold with her legs.

"Chun Li, you mind getting your crotch off my neck," Issei laughed at her ineffectiveness to subdue him.

"Stop calling me that! My name is Xuelan!" she shouted in annoyance as she tried to tighten her hold.

Her efforts were short lived as Issei began to bob his head back and forth causing friction between her legs.

"Aghh! Don't do that!" she protested.

"Do what?" Issei chuckled as he continued to do it.

"No! Aghh! Stop it!" she shouted again with a heavily flushed face. This went on for almost twenty seconds.

"You're disgusting!" she shouted again as her hold loosened on Issei.

"One way or another you're getting off," Issei replied crudely causing Xuelan and the other members Riser's peerage that were watching to all gawk at him.

"You damn pervert!" Xuelan shouted as she let go of him and jumped back to her allies. They all had varied expressions after seeing what just happened.

Xuelan embarrassedly wiped her leg for a second when she thought nobody was looking.

"You're a sick perv, you know that?!" a short blue haired girl said shaking her head.

Issei looked at her for a moment and grinned, "Yeah I'm pretty terrible."

"Two of Riser's pawns retired." Sona's voice announced.

Issei looked over the number of girls in front of him currently. Both rooks, one knight, five pawns, and two bishops were all blocking his way forward.

"Quit staring at us, pervert!" the blue haired girl piped up.

"You better watch out, Mira, he said he had a thing for blue hair," a girl with a sword spoke up.

"You don't have to tell me, Siris!" Mira complained.

"If you're done being a creeper, then I'll be your opponent!" the sword wielding girl known as Siris announced. She drew a massive zweihänder and moved in to swing it at him as hard as possible.

Issei easily sidestepped her attack and tripped her a moment later causing her to go plummeting forward. She fell on her face and had her butt sticking in the air now.

"Hmm…red panties today?" Issei chuckled causing the knight to immediately jump to her feet in anger and attempt to attack him again.

Once again, Issei easily side-stepped her swing and tripped her again. He didn't stop to look at her this time as he continued walking past the devil girls.

"Get that fucker!" Siris shouted in annoyance to the others who were just standing around watching.

"Let's see how strong you are dragon!" one of the green haired pawns shouted as she and her twin went in to attack Issei with their chainsaws.

Issei didn't bother dodging this time as he simply kicked one and punched the other causing both to go flying into the distance.

"Ile! Nel!" Xuelan called out to the two green haired girls who Issei just took out with one hit a piece.

"Two of Riser's pawns retired," Sona's voice announced as if on broadcast.

The Chinese devil girl immediately ran in to attack Issei, but was easily stopped when he backhanded her to the ground.

"Sorry Chun Li, but I need to wrap this shit up," Issei sighed.

The Chinese devil girl leapt up and started unleashing a series of punches and kicks at him using any form of martial prowess she could. Issei easily blocked and countered most of her attacks and finally caught her leg mid kick again.

"Let go of me…" she said embarrassed at having her leg held up in such a promiscuous pose.

"Xuelan!" one of the girls shouted. A moment later, the three remaining pawns all rushed Issei at once to help the held rook.

Mira, Ni, and Li stood no chance as Issei swung Xuelan into them like a baseball bat causing all three to go spiraling in various directions in pain.

Issei used a lot of force behind the attack which caused the three pawns to go unconscious. He threw Xuelan afterward, but she managed to catch herself midair and lad on her feet.

"Three of Riser's pawns retired," Sona's voice announced again.

"C'mon girls! This guy is laughing at us!" Xuelan shouted towards her fellow peerage members.

Isabela, Siris, and the now recovering Xuelan all moved in to combo Issei from all sides. He easily stopped their attacks as he threw Xuelan through Siris and into one of the bishops in the back. Xuelan and Siris managed to recover, but Mihae, the bishop didn't look like she was getting up anytime soon.

"One of Riser's bishops retired," Sona spoke.

The rook and knight moved in to Isabela's side and stood opposed to Issei with serious glares on their faces now.

Ravel Phenex was standing behind them and shook her head, "You're a brute, you know that? Just because you have raw strength doesn't mean you're a match for Onii-sama."

Issei laughed at her, "If your brother is so tough, then why is he hiding behind a bunch of girls? Tell that fuckboy to come fight me himself!"

"A degenerate brute like you doesn't have the right to challenge Riser-sama!" Siris shouted as she swung her zweihander in to attack him again.

In a similar way to catching Freed Sellzen's sword, Issei caught Siris'. She looked shocked as he squeezed the blade causing her entire sword to shatter.

Siris took a step back horrified, "What the hell?! H-how?!"

"That thing ain't no dragonslayer…" Issei laughed at her horror.

Siris didn't get much time to reflect on her failure as Issei punched her in the face a moment later knocking her out cold.

"One of Riser's knights retired," Sona's voice announced.

"No! Siris!" Xuelan said angrily as she and Isabela charged Issei again. Before they could even figure out what happened, Issei grabbed both of them by the throat.

He smashed their heads together before they could break lose and sent both girls to the ground bleeding.

"Two of Riser's rooks, retired," Sona's voice came over the broadcast once again.

With all of his enemies dealt with, Issei finally turned towards Ravel.

"G-get back! D-don't do anything! Y-you'll regret it!" Ravel shouted as she began to back away from Issei slowly.

"One of Riser's Pawns and One of Riser's Knight's retired. One of Rias' Knights retired," Sona's voice alerted them again.

Issei ignored it as he walked closer towards Ravel, "C'mon devil girl...let's see this immortal phoenix fire you're so proud of."

A moment later, a loud explosion caught Issei's attention. From the sky, he saw Akeno free-falling towards the ground.

 _'Huh…she got defeated?_ ' Issei thought indifferently.

Despite his reservations about it, he decided to jump up and catch the falling devil before landing nearby.

Akeno looked worse for wear and injured. She blinked several times in disbelief when she realized Issei had caught her.

"You gonna make it angel?" Issei asked her.

She felt a strange feeling in her stomach at being held by Issei in this bridal style and being referred to as angel. Her heart began to race faster when she realized that Issei was staring at her.

Akeno spoke up disbelievingly, "Why did you catch me?"

"Good question," Issei countered.

Before Akeno could voice a response, a massive explosion engulfed both of them. The explosion did virtually no damage to Issei's body, but it did scuff up his uniform. Akeno on the other hand was now out of the game.

"Rias's Queen retired," Sona's voice announced.

Issei growled in annoyance when he detected the source of the explosion.

He looked up at Yubelluna angrily, "Are you kidding me?! I only own like four of these uniforms! You're lucky I'm not wearing my jacket right now you cheap bitch!"

She landed in front of Ravel and Issei and spoke up for the first time, "I'm amazed you're still standing after that. Did you actually defeat the rest of Riser-sama's peerage?"

"Where is that fucker at? Enough of this damn hiding shit! Fuckboy, come out and fight me or I'm taking your sister and your queen!" Issei shouted hoping to draw Riser to him.

Ravel shook her head blushing madly, "Stop saying things like that! I'm not some helpless maiden you can just claim!"

"Prove it to me phoenix girl, let's see what you got," Issei challenged her.

Ravel immediately backed away as Issei ripped his charred shirt off.

Yubelluna eyed him silently as the now shirtless dragon looked between the two females.

A moment later, Rias, Gasper, and Koneko all ran over towards his location.

Finally, however, Riser made his appearance as he landed next to Yubelluna and Ravel with his flaming wings out.

"Hyoudou, did you really take out all of them?" Koneko asked with amazement.

"Riser has grown tired of watching you molest and harass his harem…he will now turn you into ashes!" Riser shouted as he unleashed a heavy torrent of flames towards Issei.

"Burn in the flames of the phoenix!" Riser announced over dramatically.

His attack was extremely powerful, and it managed to engulf the entire area in flames. Gasper attempted to negate the ones around Rias, Koneko, and himself, but was too nervous and scared to do much else.

Issei took the full brunt of the flames much to their horror. The flames engulfed him for almost a minute.

"Die you annoying fucker!" Riser shouted as he kept pouring flames out.

"Onii-sama…I think you got him," Ravel said a bit seriously as Issei's entire body had been covered in the flames for nearly a minute now. The light from Riser's attack was blinding.

A loud voice projected from the flames a moment later, "You call this fire?"

From Riser's flames a glowing red silhouette began to shine. The red silhouette was quickly revealed to be a winged, shirtless Issei. The delinquent slowly began to walk towards Riser immune to his fire. Everyone gasped and stared at the sight of his two large red dragon wings and his draconic features.

The shirtless winged dragon looked unfazed by the flames as his red aura seemed to eat them up as he passed.

Yubelluna looked truly disturbed, "R-Riser-sama?"

"Riser, do something!" Ravel said terrified now.

"Calm yourself Ravel…this beast might have brute strength, but he's useless against the regenerative powers of a phoenix!" the delusional devil announced.

A moment later he flew in to attack Issei in melee combat. His attack was short-lived as Issei easily slashed his arm off and pierced his chest. Without even waiting, Issei threw him powerfully into the nearby building. The phoenix went flying a considerable distance back but quickly regenerated his wounds and grew his arm back as he flew back in.

Yubelluna looked scared as Issei came closer. She gathered her resolve and attempted to bomb him as the dragon advanced, but much to her horror, nothing even fazed Issei in his current state.

Before she knew it, Issei had her by the throat. The purple haired woman was immediately forced to her knees from Issei's strength and was now helpless in his grasp.

Issei grabbed her by the hair with his other hand and forced her to face the incoming Riser, "Hey devil bitch…turn your head and have a good look at Riser Phenex. You'll never see him the same way again when I'm through with him."

Yubelluna looked at Riser helplessly as Issei held her in place.

"Tell me, devil girl…what's your name?" Issei asked the purple haired woman.

She didn't answer for a moment until Issei squeezed her neck.

"Yubelluna," she finally answered fearfully.

"Are you afraid right now?" Issei asked her darkly.

"Y-yes…" she answered honestly.

"Then you're a lot smarter than your master is…because anyone with half a brain knows not to piss off a dragon!" Issei growled causing her to flinch.

"Let go of my queen, you half-breed filth!" Riser shouted as he flew back throwing more fire at the dragon.

Issei literally took no damage from it and started laughing, "It seems you're still not afraid. I don't think you understand the situation yet, Riser."

A moment later Issei let go of Yubelluna and punched her in the back of the head knocking her out cold, "You're not going to want to see this, babe."

"Riser's queen retired," Sona announced with evident concern in her voice.

Issei's body began to radiate more powerfully as he inhaled deeply. A moment later he unleashed dragonfire in Riser and Ravel's location.

Ravel didn't even try to stop it as she ran out of its trajectory. Riser on the other hand, stubbornly tried to counter it with his own flames.

His orange flames were immediately engulfed by Issei's darker red ones. The destruction his attack caused was cataclysmic to the battlefield. The entire Rating Game battleground was now engulfed in flames. The skies went dark and were illuminated in apocalyptic red light.

"He's going to destroy the entire Game Field if he keeps doing things like that!" Koneko gasped.

Rias, Koneko, Gasper, and Ravel all fell to their knees from the overwhelming energy and pressure.

Riser somehow survived the attack, but looked to be recovering slowly as Issei approached him.

"What's the matter Riser? I thought you were invincible?" Issei said mockingly to the injured phoenix. He was regenerating slowly, but still looked like he was in bad shape. The phoenix powerlessly attempted to blast Issei again before moving in to attack once more.

Issei caught him this time and grabbed his arm, "Let's see how quickly you regenerate from this."

"ARRGHH!" Riser cried out in agony as Issei broke Riser's arm in multiple places.

He kept breaking his bones as the phoenix was regenerating causing an endless loop of agony. Rias, Gasper, Koneko, and Ravel all looked horrified by the brutality.

"Give up or we're going to keep going!" Issei hissed as he threw Riser to the ground and stomped repeatedly on the downed devil.

Riser's ribs broke and healed repeatedly as Issei savagely beat him. Finally after enough abuse, Riser seemed understand that he was no match for Issei and would only suffer the longer he resisted.

"I surrender!" he announced in pain as Issei continued to stomp on him.

Issei kept going despite his statement.

"Please! STOP!" Ravel cried as tears began to fall down her face.

She ran over towards her brother's side who was now in a crater at this point.

"I-I-I surrender!" Riser repeated fearfully.

Finally, Issei ceased his assault, "About fucking time."

"Rias Gremory has won the Rating Game," Sona's voice announced with evident concern.

"Onii-sama, are you alright?" Ravel asked.

Riser didn't reply as he simply sat there shaking like a beat dog.

Issei looked down at him shaking his head, "I hope you learned your lesson, devil. Never pick a fight with a dragon."

Right as he said that, Issei receded his dragon form and went back to normal. A moment later, Ravel and Riser were both teleported out of the battlefield. Rias' remaining group teleported away in a red circle shortly afterward. After they were all gone, a blue one appeared beneath Issei to take him out of there.

Issei found himself back in the student council room without Rias or the other members of her peerage. He looked around confused when he only saw Sona and her peerage there. Every member of her peerage had wide stares fixed on him.

"Where's Gremory at?" Issei asked a disturbed looking Sona.

"She's gone to check on her injured peerage. I summoned you back here," Sona explained.

Issei sighed, "Alright, well can you do that paperwork for me then?"

"Dude…you beat his entire peerage by yourself practically! Five pawns, two rooks, one knight, one bishop, the queen, and the king too! That was insane! I knew you were powerful but damn!" Saji said shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh, all of you guys watched it?" Issei said confused.

"Yeah of course we did…I'll probably watch it again later when it reruns!" Saji exclaimed.

Issei looked confused, "Watch it again later? How?"

"Rating Games are usually aired on television for devils. Every devil in Hell probably saw this game," Tsubaki interjected.

Issei's face paled, _'Oh no…FUCK ME! They all saw me use my powers! The only way this could have been worse is if I used my boosted gear too…thank god I didn't do that at least.'_

The delinquent was still shirtless and was covered in ashes, soot, and Riser's blood. Tsubasa was staring at him like he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

She walked over towards him and bowed her head, "You were really great in that game. A bit scary near the end, but I kind of like that manliness about you."

"Umm…thanks?" Issei said confused.

She looked up at him blushing, "A-are you s-seeing any-"

A moment later the door came crashing open. Standing there was none other than Serafall.

Everyone turned towards her shocked. They were even more shocked when Issei addressed her, "Serafall!?"

"Issei?!" Serafall shouted his name in surprise. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, she ran over and glomped him.

"Serafall, what are you doing here?!" Issei gasped in disbelief as she embraced him tightly.

"I came to ask my sister, Sona-chan, where I could find you! I didn't expect to see you in here! Why have you been ignoring my messages?!" she demanded childishly.

"Sona-chan? Sister?!" Issei said horrified by the revelation as he looked over at Sona.

"What are you doing at my school dressed like…THAT!?" Sona's face flushed red with embarrassment.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

This is probably the evilest cliffhanger I've ever written…I'm sorry people but we're at that 12 k word limit again. So yeah, a lot of serious shit went down this chapter. Let's go over it like we always do.

To start, Issei had a bad dream about Ophis' army and Trihexa killing Red, but then the Great Red Dragon pulls him out of it. For those that don't know, Great Red's power is over dreams and illusions. He pulled Issei out of his dream and talked to him while he was asleep. We learned from the lovable delinquent Dragon of Dragons that he thinks Ophis' army is a joke and is more concerned with pulling off crazy moves like the FOUR PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT. A point of note in their conversation is when Red calls Issei a Riajuu. For those that don't know, A riajuu is a Japanese term that essentially means a successful normie.

The arrival of Gabriel was a very random element of the chapter. But we learn from her that Heaven is concerned about a powerful devil deceiving Issei. He simply assumes it's Vali, but is it? Could it be a twin-tailed girl with black hair? How will Serafall react when she finds out Heaven is snooping around Issei now? Will her infamous rivalry with Gabriel cause mayhem? Yes...it will

The main highlight of the chapter of course is the Rating Game and the way Issei was drawn into it. I hope you people got some cheap laughs out of it because I certainly did. Poor Issei didn't realize that the game was aired on TV for all of Hell to see. How will that affect his reputation now?

Finally, we have Serafall's sudden appearance at the end…how will that scenario play out? You'll just have to wait and see. Just for the record though, she didn't see the rating game...so don't ask me that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mr. Black**

Issei blinked several times in disbelief as he tried to comprehend the situation, _'Isn't Sitri's sister a Satan? Leviathan if I remember right. Serafall is…Leviathan?! That's not possible! I would have noticed! This has got to be some kind of sick joke! How the actual hell can a girl like her be a Maoi?! She's a magical girl for crying out loud!'_

"What are you doing in my school dressed like…THAT?!" Sona said embarrassed as she practically leapt up out of her seat.

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed Sona-chan?" Serafall asked innocently.

The entire atmosphere of the room got dark a moment later when Issei spoke, "You're a Satan?"

Serafall's eyes widened when she looked over at Issei. He seemed truly shocked by the news as he moved away from her slightly. The twin-tailed Maoi took this time to truly examine his dirty appearance and nodded, "I am…you know about devils, Issei?"

"What the hell is going on?! How do you two know each other?!" Sona practically demanded as she looked between the confused Issei and Serafall.

"We're… _friends_ ," Serafall laughed somewhat nervously. She put considerable emphasis on the word 'friends' which caused many of Sona's peerage members to eye them both with confusion.

"How are you friends with him? Issei Hyoudou is a delinquent renegade dragon who hates devils. Hyoudou-san, you're friends with my sister?!"

Issei took this time to look between Sona and Serafall and noticed a large resemblance between them. He could only stare at Sona in genuine disbelief, "How did I not figure this out? You've got to be kidding me…"

"You're a dragon, Issei?!" Serafall almost chirped with amazement, "that's so cool! I never even noticed!"

"Onee-sama, you better have a good explanation for what the hell is going on!" Sona said in a serious and somewhat emotional tone.

Serafall ignored Sona and looked at Issei confused, "If you know about devils, then you know about Sona-chan and Rias-chan right? Umm by the way…Issei why are you shirtless and covered in soot? What happened to your uniform?!"

"He just fought Riser Phenex in Rias' rating game and utterly obliterated his entire peerage. How do you know Hyoudou, Serafall?! Why are you referring to him so casually? How are you two friends?!" Sona demanded.

"Issei is my boyfriend…sort of," Serafall replied with a somewhat nervous laugh.

"WHAT?!" Sona almost squeaked.

"HUH?!  
"No fucking way!"  
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" the members of her peerage all exploded into various responses.

"You said he beat Riser-kun's whole peerage in a rating game? That's amazing! Are you really a dragon, Issei? I was positive you were only human!" Serafall questioned the stunned delinquent with evident curiosity.

Despite the unbelievable revelations, she seemed to be handling the situation better than Issei.

"You're seriously Leviathan? I had no idea." Issei said slowly as he sent a glare towards Serafall.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you I was a devil, Issei! I thought you were human, and I really like you, so I didn't want to say anything and cause you trouble," Serafall held up her hands in an innocent and sincere way.

Issei had a hard time staying angry as he briefly took in her almost comical apology. Her logic behind the apology was pretty legitimate as he took a moment to process it. Both of them had been operating under the assumption that the other was human, and they didn't want to cause trouble for the other one.

He could almost appreciate the fact that Serafall had enough respect to keep her devil heritage out of their brief friendship.

He simply sighed as he looked away, "Whatever…just one more disaster to stir up drama in my life."

"So…you're not mad at me?" She asked hopefully.

"No…I should have expected some nonsense like this. Most things are too good to be true," he said with a heavy sigh. His voice was somewhat callous and distant which implied he wasn't interested in discussing the topic any further.

Serafall seemed a bit disheartened by his words but maintained her upbeat expression, "I know it'll complicate things, but you could still be my boyfriend…"

"Onee-sama, Are you out of your mind?! Not only are you trying to date someone from my school, but you're going for a guy like…like HIM!? Mother and father keep telling you to get married and you go off and pick up a boy from my school?! Him of all people too?! You two have nothing in common! How did you two end up together?!" Sona demanded disbelievingly.

"We are not together!" Issei immediately defended his position as he looked away with embarrassment.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, I swear! Eheheheh…it sort of just happened. You know that convention that I bought tickets for us to go to? Well since you didn't want to go, I went by myself and happened to run into Issei there. I sort of gave him your ticket and we spent the day hanging out at the convention. We've been friends ever since. Issei even took me out on a date to go see the new Milky Spiral Seven movie," Serafall said shyly.

"Convention?" Momo said confused as she looked at Sona, "Leviathan-sama invited you to a convention? What kind?"

"I-It doesn't matter!" Sona said full of embarrassment as her voice cracked.

"It was that new anime convention! Issei and I had a great time there!" Serafall exclaimed more proudly.

"Hyoudou-san went to an anime convention?" Tomoe practically snickered at the delinquent.

"Milky Spiral Seven movie? Isn't that the movie with magical girls?" Momo said confused.

Issei felt completely awkward in this situation, _'Well…there goes my reputation.'_

"H-Hyoudou! D-do you like my sister?!" Sona asked with a somewhat flushed face.

Serafall's eyes focused intensely on Issei as he looked between the two of them.

He looked away with a light blush, "She's not exactly my type, but I like her more than most devils. She's not my girlfriend though."

Serafall frowned at those words and looked away, "Sorry to cause you so much trouble, Issei…"

"Nothing personal, Serafall…you're not half bad as far as devils go. You and your sister for that matter. That being said, I'm not about to get roped into your royal politics and all that other shit," Issei said dismissively.

"That…makes sense," Serafall said slowly as she thought about Issei's situation. She didn't fully understand his dislike for devils, but she could definitely understand Issei not wanting to deal with her family and all the politics that came with it.

Issei shook his head and decided to change the subject after an awkward silence, "Sitri, can you push that paperwork for me? I'll be submitting the applications tomorrow. It's going to be for Irina Shidou and Xenovia Quarta. Get them enrolled here…and keep your devil crap away from them. Understand?!"

"Y-yeah…of course, Hyoudou. Also, I'm sure she'll thank you herself later, but thank you for helping Rias against Riser," Sona replied.

"Later," Issei said ignoring her comment as he began to take his leave.

Before he could exit the room, Serafall grabbed his arm and stopped him, "W-wait! Issei…"

The delinquent turned around and looked at Serafall passively, "What?"

"I…I'll see you around, yeah?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he said distantly as he left the room.

Serafall frowned at his distant attitude, but quickly figured that it would take time for Issei to come to terms with the reality of the situation. In all of her imaginings, she never expected things to turn out like this. Although Serafall did feel better about him knowing the truth. She would just have to find a way to prove that she wasn't the trouble he thought she was.

After Issei was gone, Sona shook her head, "Onee-sama…he's the reason that Tiamat-sama is attending Kuoh Academy right now. She and her friend are pursuing him for some reason. Issei Hyoudou is a very unusual individual. After seeing how powerful he was in the Rating Game, I think I can understand why now. They want to recruit him for something."

"He beat Riser-kun's entire peerage? How exactly? That's rather impressive for an unknown dragon." Serafall wondered.

"He defeated them effortlessly, Leviathan-sama," Saji spoke up, "that guy is a monster. We saw him use his full power to completely overwhelm Riser."

"I'm surprised you didn't try recruiting a boy like him into your peerage, Sona-chan. He's powerful and even cute to boot," Serafall said to her sister.

Sona looked away embarrassed, "I did try…but he wanted nothing to do with me or Rias. That's why it's shocking that he's friends with you."

"Well it looks like he doesn't want much to do with me either," Serafall frowned over-dramatically, "why does he dislike devils so much? And if he does, then why did he fight for Rias-chan in her rating game?"

"Take a seat, onee-sama, and I'll explain," Sona finally calmed down.

"You should really show her the footage of the Rating Game too. I guarantee that it's probably already on reruns on Underworld TV," Momo added.

Tsubasa simply stood there in stunned silence as she focused an intense stare at Serafall, _'Hyoudou-kun likes Leviathan-sama?! I don't stand a chance competing against a beautiful celebrity like her!'_

' _Hyoudou-kun definitely wasn't lying when he said he liked twintails,_ ' Tomoe thought as she examined Serafall's cute appearance. She reflexively felt her own hair as Sona began to talk to Serafall about Issei.

 **Issei, Downtown Kuoh**

Issei furiously tore through the town on his motorcycle at reckless speeds. He had long since passed his house as his mind focused deeply on the reality of his current predicament. Issei was not surprised very often these days, but he was mad at himself for being so foolish as to not realize all the signs.

' _How did I not see the resemblance!? Everything she said adds up now. When she was talking about her family…she meant the Sitri Clan. I guess that makes her sister the heir if Serafall is a Maoi. Seriously, how is a girl…woman…like her a Satan?! It's got to be some kind of cosmic joke. If God was still alive I'd be convinced that he was playing a joke on me!'_ Issei fumed mentally.

He wasn't necessarily angry at Serafall, but rather he was mad at his inability to identify her as a devil. If a Maoi could hide their identity and scent to him like that, then what else could? Was anyone truly trustworthy anymore? This put him in a position of vulnerability…and Issei did not like that one bit. He always had to have the upper hand.

Pushing his thoughts of Serafall aside, Issei was actually more frustrated about the fact that he was forced to fight in that Rating Game for Rias. What was even worse was the fact that he displayed a small measure of power for all of Hell to see on TV. Even though it wasn't much and he was smart enough to not use his Boosted Gear, the devils would now recognize him as a potential threat on their radar. That all but guaranteed that he was doomed to more run ins with their kind.

' _How did they even record us anyway? Damn it…I'm way less aware these days. All these new happenings have me too distracted. I suppose it could have been worse though…_ ' Issei sighed as he pulled into a shady looking parking lot to stop for a moment. He felt his phone vibrating and figured he'd check it.

Reaching down to check his phone, Issei was half-expecting it to be Serafall. Much to his surprise it wasn't. The number was actually from the owner of the motorcycle shop he worked at on occasion.

 _[Hyoudou-kun…you mind coming in for a bit? I've got some people asking for you.]_ the message read.

Issei sighed as he messaged back, _[I thought I told you not to contact me in during the school year. I said I would come by during breaks. These guys better be paying good money if they expect me to make them a custom build in my spare time.]_

 _[They look like Yakuza. I'm guessing they want another custom job. Hurry over here if you know what's good for you. One of them looks like a bigshot.]_ the shop owner messaged back.

 _[Alright…I'll be there shortly.]_ Issei responded.

He let out a heavy sigh as he revved up his bike and headed for the motorcycle shop. He would work there during his spare time and usually got paid good money for it. Part of him was a bit annoyed about having to deal with Yakuza right now, but at the very least it could keep his mind distracted from the Serafall situation.

He drove for several minutes before finally reaching the nearby motorcycle shop. He saw several black vehicles and one limousine outside. There were several men in suits with sunglasses on who were standing guard around them.

They all perked up as Issei aggressively glided up to the shop, next to the limo. His school uniform was still burnt which caused alarm for some of the men present. Issei was still shirtless too under his open leather jacket.

His physique clearly impressed several of the men as Issei pulled over and got off. The shop owner was quick to rush out and meet him, "Hyoudou-kun, thank you for coming on such short notice. W-what happened to your clothes?"

"Don't worry about it," Issei said dismissively causing the owner to frown with curiosity.

A moment later, an older man in a finely tailored suit surrounded by bodyguards approached from inside the shop. Their leader was holding a briefcase for some reason.

They all looked very professional and somewhat dangerous. Well dangerous to normal people that is. To a regular high school student, they were probably super intimidating. The older man and his bodyguards looked a bit put off by Issei's ragged and burnt clothing as they all sent him fierce stares.

"Are you Hyoudou-san? The yanki boy who builds the bikes for the Daisaku family?" the older man asked.

Issei nodded plainly at the man, "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"I don't normally make a habit of dealing with young, delinquent thugs like you in person, but seeing as how you have proven useful to the Daisaku family, the Ryujin Clan would like to extend an offer to you," the older man said as he handed the briefcase to one of his flanking bodyguards.

The bodyguard immediately opened the briefcase to show Issei a bunch of money inside before closing it.

"50 million yen…it's yours if you'll do a little job for us," the older man said seriously.

"It must be something big if you're throwing that kind of money at me. I just work on motorcycles. The most I've been paid was 10 million for those custom jobs I did for the Daisaku family. What kind of work do you want done?" Issei asked.

The older man nodded, "The Daisaku family are some of the best street racers in Japan. They paid good money for your custom motorcycle jobs. Unfortunately, several of their best racers including Ken Daisaku himself were injured recently and will not be able to race them. Your motorcycles are the fastest we've ever seen, but few are experienced enough to handle them."

"So, what? You want me to make some modifications for someone else?" Issei asked.

"There is a big race in Kyoto tonight with over a billion yen on the line and the Ryujin Clan needs another racer who can guarantee our success."

"So, you came to me?" Issei said curiously. He was actually interested in this conversation now.

The man gave him a sharp look, "Yes…your reputation is quite well known to the highest members of our organization. The families around here say you're the fastest street racer in Japan. They call you the Red Dragon of Kuoh…and say you've never lost a race and that you know no fear. If that is indeed true, then we would like to sponsor you as our racer tonight."

"You said a billion yen is on the line? If that's the case, then I want more than 50 million." Issei replied sternly.

"Consider that a down payment. Our honor is at stake, so we would gladly offer you a 25 percent cut of the winnings," the older man explained.

"Only 25 percent?" Issei asked.

"That is far more generous than we usually are…Daisaku told me that you would only do it for a substantial cut. That money comes from all the betting and sponsored set ups and most of the winnings go to fund the Ryujin family." the older man replied.

"Hmm…well that's a lot more money than I usually make. How's about 35 percent and I'll do it," Issei countered.

One of the bodyguards tensed up with visible disdain, "Don't push your luck kid! You-"

The man was silenced when the old business man raised his hand, "You're bold, Hyoudou…that's just the kind of attitude we're looking for in a racer. I'll offer 30 percent. Keep in mind that's easily over 300 million yen."

"Alright, that's good enough I suppose. You say the race is in Kyoto? How did your guys get hurt by the way? Did they take a turn too hard?" Issei asked casually. His nonchalant response to the whole situation was a matter of concern to some of the men present.

"Our best racers were recently injured by a rival organization's star racer. These rivals have been ruining our underground business in Kyoto as well and will likely move into Kuoh if we do not stop them. We were going to go to war with them, but the rival clan head suggested a final race to settle the matter honorably between their best racer and ours. We only accepted their offer when the Daisaku family recommended sponsoring you," the older man explained.

Issei perked up interested, "Well, you're definitely asking the right guy if you want to win a race. Just tell me where to be and when."

"There's something you should know about your opponent. They call him Mr. Black. He's almost as infamous as you are," the older man explained.

"Mr. Black?" Issei said confused.

"We don't know much about him other than he's a foreigner and he's a deadly mercenary of some kind. You would do the Ryujin family a great honor in besting him. He is undefeated," the man stated coldly.

"I don't care who he is…he'll crash and die if he tries to keep up with me," Issei said proudly.

"The race is in Kyoto at midnight. Be there at the top floor of the Tiger Casino Parking Garage before then, and one of our representatives will guide you from there," the man said with a slight grin.

"Sir, are we really going to stake our honor and money on this punk kid?" one of the man's bodyguards asked.

"Ken Daisaku is not one to exaggerate somebody's abilities. If he believes this yanki boy is the best racer in Japan, then I will take his word for it. If he fails, then he'll die," the older Yakuza man replied.

"I'll win," Issei said assuredly as he stepped towards them with imposing eyes.

The older man jerked his head gesturing for his bodyguard to hand Issei the briefcase. He spoke sternly, "There's your down payment…you better be there. I'll be watching you, Issei Hyoudou."

Shortly afterward, the men in suits all got in their black vehicles and left.

Issei sat on his bike as he checked the time on his phone, _'18:14…it's already a quarter past 6. I should probably leave now. I wouldn't mind hanging out around Kyoto for a few hours anyways. It'd do me some good to get out of Kuoh for a bit…plus now I got some spending money. I should probably go drop this off at the house before I go. The girls are going to need some money to buy school stuff.'_

The shop owner looked at Issei concerned, "Are you really going to that race in Kyoto?"

"Yeah…here take some of this money and upgrade the shop. I'm going to go drop off the rest and head there," Issei said as he took out many stacks of money and handed it to the shop owner. Afterward he threw the briefcase on the back of his motorcycle and strapped it on.

"H-Hyoudou-kun! I-I can't accept this money!" he protested.

"Sure, you can…besides, we're going to need more equipment and garage space once I win tonight. It's going to bring in more business," Issei said coolly.

"You're that confident you can win? What about this Mr. Black?" the owner wondered.

"You let me worry about that, Homuro," Issei said before taking off.

He didn't take long to swing by his house and head inside to drop off his money. Xenovia and Irina appeared a bit distraught about his late arrival. They were even more concerned by his burnt school uniform and lack of a shirt.

He briefly explained the situation with the Rating Game and why he had to do it in order to get them enrolled in Kuoh. Issei made sure not omit the part about Serafall. After explaining the situation, he told them he had to go to Kyoto.

Irina frowned at him, "So then, you have to go to Kyoto tonight to do a job? Does it involve those devils? Is this some other condition?"

"No, it's just something for my motorcycle shop. Nothing to be concerned about," Issei said casually.

"Well that explains where that money came from," Xenovia noted as she looked at the massive stacks of yen Issei had thrown on the table.

"That's for you two…go out and by some groceries and clothes," Issei suggested as he walked into his room to change his clothes.

After briefly changing, he made his way back into the living room, "I'll be back before morning. You two stay out of trouble."

"Wait! Can we come with you?" Irina asked.

"You two start school soon, so go buy school stuff and fill up the fridge with food," Issei ordered as he approached the door to head back outside.

"I'm not sure I feel very safe with you leaving town. What if someone comes after us?" Irina protested.

"They won't…after that Rating Game, I doubt they're going to try making any moves against me or you two," Issei replied.

"Drive safe, Issei…see you tomorrow," Xenovia waved as Issei closed the door in a hurry.

 **Kyoto 2 hours later**

After a mind numbing and somewhat relaxing ride, Issei finally found his way into the heart of Kyoto. It felt good to get out of Kuoh even for a little bit. At least in Kyoto he didn't have to worry about running into devils and angels at every turn.

' _Well I've got a little bit of time to burn…I wonder what I should do?'_ Issei thought as he calmly drove through the city. He already made sure to locate the Tiger Casino, so he would know where to go when the time came. It was currently 8:30 p.m. which meant he had some time to burn.

' _I guess it wouldn't hurt to get some dinner while I'm out here,'_ Issei thought as he looked around for places to eat. Finally, his eyes caught sight of a nice-looking hole in the wall restaurant. It looked inconspicuous enough for him to pull into and enjoy dinner without drawing too much attention.

As he pulled up and parked in front, he saw a somewhat unusual sight. At the restaurant, he saw a little blonde-haired girl sitting outside and crying silently on a bench.

She looked like a middle schooler if he had to guess and was wearing a shrine maiden outfit. Issei's loud motorcycle caught her attention as he noticed her tear-stained eyes focusing on him. The girl had an unusual golden shade in her eyes that almost seemed to match her golden hair.

As he got off his bike, the young girl visibly tensed in fear at the sight of him.

' _Why's a little girl out here by herself? And what's with the Miko get up?'_ Issei thought as he noticed the passing people give him widened blank stares. They appeared to be ignoring her for the most part, which was rather strange in his opinion. There was no adult around that appeared to be with the girl much to his curiosity.

He already felt crowded on the city streets as people busily walked both directions. He simply walked through the traffic on the sidewalk as he made his way to the restaurant entrance. He could feel the blonde girl's eyes focusing on him ever more intensely as he approached.

' _I'm shocked one of these random people walking by haven't tried to talk to her yet. I mean a girl in a shrine maiden outfit is just crying out here. How weird,'_ Issei thought to himself as effortlessly walked through the street traffic.

Several people tried to shoulder check him or push past him during his slow approach, and immediately found themselves falling over from the sheer force of walking into him. Issei didn't bother apologizing or acknowledging the random people he knocked over as he finally reached the entrance.

The girl visibly flinched as he turned to look at her before entering. _'It's none of my business…she's not my problem. Wait…she smells weird. Is she human?'_

"D-dragon…" he heard the girl mutter to herself.

His eyes widened slightly as he turned to face her fully. Issei walked over to the girl seriously, "What did you just say?"

She cowered as he looked down at her, "N-nothing."

"You called me a dragon…" Issei said to her seriously.

The girl seemed a bit concerned that Issei was able to hear her but simply nodded in acceptance, "Yes…"

"How would you know that?" Issei asked confused. Even devils and angels couldn't figure it out upon an initial encounter. Besides, his smell and power were always masked. If she knew he was a dragon, then this little girl was definitely not human.

"Your Ki isn't natural for a human, and you don't smell like anything. My spirit vision also shows a chaotic elemental combination of all spiritual powers within your body. Only dragons have chaotic spiritual energy that," she said in an usually intelligent-sounding manner. Issei was somewhat surprised a middle schooler was able to speak in such a wise way.

"Why are you crying out here by yourself?" Issei asked curiously.

The girl immediately started crying again as more audible sobs escaped her. Issei noticed a lot of the passing people giving him odd looks. They were probably under the assumption it was his fault or that he was some creep. Hoping to avoid a scene or any awkward accusations, Issei placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Hey, are you hungry kid? I was about to get some dinner. Come with me."

The fact that this girl knew he was a dragon was a matter of grave concern to him. He wanted to find out what she was and why she was there. Her smell was unusual, and he had no idea what it was though he did detect some traces of demonic energy.

The girl perked up with disbelief after Issei offered to feed her. She immediately looked away with concern before meeting his gaze. It was obvious that she was afraid of him.

Issei sighed, "Well, I'm going to go eat. If you want to tell me what happened, I'll be inside. If not, see you later."

A moment later he walked off and into the restaurant. The girl wasted little time following behind him. As he sat down at a corner table, Issei noticed the girl immediately walk past the curious staff and sit down across the table from him.

She seemed a bit nervous which was understandable. He was not the friendliest looking guy, and drew the negative attention of a lot of people in the restaurant. They were already gossiping about how strange it was that the Miko girl was sitting with a thug like him.

Issei ignored them as he examined the girl curiously, "So…what are you? Not many people are able to figure out that I'm a dragon."

"I'm a Youkai…specifically a kitsune," she answered softly and quickly.

' _Oh no…No No No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! Why me, God?! Not another furry animal girl!'_ Issei thought in comical suffering.

"A kitsune?" Issei said slowly after his inner ramblings.

"You know…like a nine-tailed fox? Surely, you've heard of them. You're from Japan, right?" she asked uncertainly.

' _Damn it…how does this drama always find me?! Of all the places I had to stop, I picked the one with a furry fox girl outside of it?! Red is probably laughing his tail off at me right now!'_ Issei fumed.

A moment later a server came up and offered them menus. He seemed a bit concerned about the odd pairing before him but was professional enough to not comment on it.

"I'll have the Chirashi-don." Issei immediately picked his meal.

The girl unsure of what to do chose the same meal before the server left them. After he was gone, Issei focused a serious look on the girl.

"So why were crying out there?" Issei asked her curiously.

"M-my mother and some of the others were taken away by these strange men. I haven't seen her in hours, and there's nobody who can help me," she said sobbing lightly. Thankfully it was quiet enough to not draw a scene.

Issei sighed, "Do you know who the men that took her are?"

The girl shook her head, "No…but they were all human except for one of them. He was a dragon too. One of the men did have a sword though."

Issei's eyes widened seriously, "Another dragon? What did he look like?"

"Really scary…he was really tall and had black and blonde hair. His eyes were different colors, and he was super strong. He easily beat my mother when those men showed up to capture her."

Issei looked at her somewhat concerned, "Did you hear any names, or do you have any idea who those humans were?"

"N-no…I managed to sneak away. B-but I don't have anywhere to go. They took mama away," tears freely fell down her face.

' _I can't just abandon this kid now…ughhh,'_ Issei thought to himself as watched her cry.

"I'll go find her for you, kid…just stop crying please," Issei said uncomfortably as the nearby tables all eyed him bewildered.

"Y-you will?" she squeaked in an almost pathetic and hopeful way.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I'll go find her after we eat. Do you know what they wanted with your mother?"

She shook her head, "No…but mama is the Youkai leader in Kyoto. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

' _Great…now I'm involved in political kidnapping? Ddraig, why does this always happen?'_ Issei moaned inwardly.

' _ **That dragon she described sounds familiar…ask her about his different colored eyes, Issei,'**_ Ddraig replied seriously.

"So, tell me about this dragon you saw. What colors were his eyes?" Issei asked the kitsune girl.

"His right eye was gold and his left one was dark black," she responded after calming her sobs.

' _ **Crom Cruach…'**_ Ddraig's voice filled Issei's mind.

' _Who? I don't remember you ever talking about that one.'_ Issei asked Ddraig.

' _ **He's a dangerous black dragon. If that's actually him she's talking about, then this night is about to get a whole lot worse,'**_ Ddraig replied urgently.

' _Why's that?'_ Issei wondered.

' _ **Crom Cruach was about as strong as Albion and I the last time I saw him. You're in for some serious trouble if he finds out about you,'**_ Ddraig explained.

' _What do you think he wants with a Youkai leader? How can you even be sure it's him?'_ Issei thought concerned.

' _ **I couldn't say…but this is a high priority. I wouldn't just ignore the possibility of him being involved,'**_ Ddraig responded.

A moment later, the server brought out their food. Issei immediately handed the guy some money, which was way more than the meal cost, "Here's for the check, we have to leave soon."

The waiter was shocked by the gesture, but bowed before leaving them alone. Issei focused on the fox girl seriously, "Go ahead and eat quickly…we're going to find your mother, kid."

"My name is Kunou by the way," she introduced herself.

"I'm Issei Hyoudou," the delinquent introduced himself casually.

"C-can I call you Issei-kun?" she asked hopefully.

He shrugged, "Sure…everyone else does."

"T-thanks a lot for the food, Issei-kun. You're the first person that's tried to help me," she said sadly.

"Yeah, no problem. Hurry up and eat," Issei replied as he watched the young hungry Youkai quickly eat her meal. He wasted no time doing the same.

After they finished eating, Issei immediately stood up, "Let's go, Kunou."

"Aye, Issei-kun!" she said somewhat more cheerfully.

As they walked outside, Issei made his way to his motorcycle and looked at the girl, "Get on, kid."

"O-on t-th-that?!" she said nervously as she looked at Issei's intimidating looking motorcycle.

"C'mon, I don't have all night. I have to be somewhere in a few hours, so let's go find your mother," Issei said seriously.

The fox girl wasted no time immediately getting on the back. She quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his back fearfully as Issei took off at high speed.

She yelped in fear as he tore through the city at high speed. He focused on his senses and tried to locate a similar smell to the girl behind him. It didn't take long for him to lock onto a similar smell which he assumed was that of a kitsune.

He followed it with aggressive speed for almost an hour which eventually took him out of the city and into the forest. Kunou would often question where he was going, but he just told her to that he was tracking down a Youkai scent. Eventually, he found himself reaching some type of isolated shrine.

The fox girl clutching onto him, spoke up with confusion, "Do you really think mama is out here, Issei-kun?"

"I smell a similar scent to yours up in that shrine. Do you recognize this place? This shrine looks abandoned…but maintained for some reason." Issei asked her.

Kunou looked at it concerned, "It's the Shrine of Heroes…I've only been here once. It usually has seals and barriers protecting it."

"Why's a shrine out here in the middle of nowhere?" Issei wondered as he parked his bike and got off. Kunou fearfully clutched onto him as he made his way towards its staircase.

He calmly walked up the steps before something caught his attention. It was a strong dark mist that seemingly came out of nowhere. It did nothing to affect him, but Kunou was clearly starting to lose consciousness from it.

' _This mist isn't natural,'_ He thought as Kunou immediately collapsed on the stairs. He caught her before she fell and simply threw the girl over his shoulder as he continued.

"My my…you're immune to my poison mist? That's impressive, nya!" an amused and somewhat playful voice sounded.

' _I only smell one Youkai scent here. Somehow, I doubt it that it's her mother. Damn, this was a false lead. Maybe this woman knows something though,'_ Issei thought as he continued up the stairs and into the courtyard area.

"What brings you here mysterious stranger?" the voice in the mist asked him with enthusiastic playfulness.

Issei was annoyed as he looked around impatiently, "I'm looking for this kid's mother…I tracked a Youkai scent to this shrine. Are you familiar with Kunou and her mother?"

"Hmm? Kunou-hime?" the voice followed.

A moment later, the mist began to clear as Issei spotted a dark haired voluptuous woman appear before him. She had cat ears, yellow eyes, and the most impressive bust he had ever seen. She was extremely attractive in his opinion.

It was only then that Issei confirmed his theory. She was the source of the Youkai scent, and was the only one present. There was no other smells or spiritual presences around the shrine other than this Nekomata. He could also smell a devil scent coming from her as well much to his curiosity.

Issei was somewhat confused as he looked around, "Are you the only Youkai here?"

The Nekomata looked at him completely amused, "I am indeed the only one here. So…you're looking for Yasaka-sama?"

"Yeah I guess that's her name. Apparently, this kid is her daughter. Do you have any insight into her mother being kidnapped?" Issei asked curiously.

"Hahaha! You thought I was Yasaka-sama and came all the way out here? I'm surprised you were able to smell me. I usually keep this place well hidden. The fact that you were able to find it and that you were immune to my mist means tells me a lot. You're most likely a dragon. Am I right?" the gorgeous woman asked with amusement.

"Look, I don't have all night…I need to find this kid's mom before midnight. I have a race to go to and some money to make. Do you know anything?" Issei sighed heavily.

"Hmm, how did Kunou-hime end up in the company of a dragon? Would you care to elaborate?" the nekomata chuckled.

Issei immediately turned around and began to walk away, "Fuck this, you're wasting my time."

A moment later, the black-haired cat woman appeared in front of him, "Now now…no need to run off just yet. We haven't even been introduced yet. That's kind of rude to just leave me hanging like that."

"I really don't care who you are. You're clearly of no use to me," Issei said annoyed as he attempted to walk past her.

The Nekomata quickly blocked his way as her chest bumped into his, "Maybe I can help you, if you're nicer to me."

Issei felt her press her body against his as she smiled almost seductively, "You're kind of cute…and I'm a little bored anyway. What's your name?"

"Issei Hyoudou," he sighed after it became obvious this woman wasn't going to just let go of him.

"Nya! I'm Kuroka…nice to meet you, Issei," she grinned in an overly sexual way.

' _Why do I even bother telling people my family name anymore?'_ Issei thought to himself.

"You can get off me now," Issei said annoyed as he finally pushed the woman off of him. She was definitely an arousing woman, but he couldn't afford such distractions right now.

She gave him a pouting sigh as she crossed her arms, "Alright then, so I take it Yasaka-sama was kidnapped or something? I doubt she would ever leave Kunou-hime unattended. Do you know anything about her kidnappers?"

"Not much…the girl told me some humans and a dragon were responsible," Issei shrugged.

Kuroka grinned eagerly, "Oooh…that sounds juicy. You'll definitely want my help then."

"I don't need your help…get lost cat girl," Issei shot back.

"You got something against cat girls?" Kuroka asked in a somewhat dangerous way.

"No more than I do for devils, angels, and every other annoying person that wants to burden me with their political crap," Issei growled.

"You're not affiliated with anyone?" she asked curiously.

"No…and I intend to keep it that way," he replied.

"Then you and I share that in common. I'm no friend of angels, devils, or other Youkai. I'm something of an outcast myself," Kuroka noted as she followed Issei down the stairs.

Despite how nonchalantly she said it, Issei still detected a bit of sadness in her voice.

He stopped and looked at her curiously, "Why is that?"

Her ears twitched as she met his gaze, "It's a long story, but I'm sure I can score some points with Yasaka-sama if I help rescue her, Nya?"

"For someone who claims to have no affiliation with devils, you smell like one. Are you a devil too?" Issei asked her.

Kuroka seemed slightly caught off guard and chuckled at his insight, "Ah, you got me. I am…but I'm a stray devil. I killed my former master."

"That makes sense, I guess. I'm surprised you would admit that so easily," Issei noted.

Kuroka shrugged, "You know how devils are. I'm glad to not be a part of their caste system."

"I suppose I can't fault anyone who appreciates freedom and thinking for themselves," Issei replied.

His comment caused the Nekomata's ears to move in an approving way. She grinned at him, "Listen, Issei. Let me help you out. My Senjutsu would make tracking Yasaka-sama much easier. Besides, it's not everyday a cute guy wanders up to my shrine so invitingly."

It was completely obvious to Issei that she was trying to charm him somehow. He didn't fully trust her intentions, but she seemed relatively honest up until now. Besides…it wasn't like a Youkai could do any harm to him anyway.

Ignoring her flattery, Issei spoke callously, "If you're serious about helping me, then I'll accept. How exactly will your Senjutsu help find her mother?"

"She shares a very similar Ki to her mother. I can draw hers out and use it to pinpoint her mother's location and teleport us there. Let me just see the girl for a moment if you would," she said as she reached out and took the unconscious Kunou off of his shoulder.

After casting some type of magic, Issei watched with disbelief as Kunou disappeared right in front of him. He could barely believe his eyes as the Nekomata smugly grinned at him, "Thanks for your help in tracking down the girl. It saved us a lot of time."

"You fucking bitch!" Issei growled furiously as the reality of the situation finally dawned on him. Kuroka tricked him into giving up Kunou and was likely in league with the people that kidnapped her mother.

"Hahahaha!" Kuroka laughed at Issei's frustration, "I can't believe you fell for that. I guess not all dragons are smart huh?"

Before she could even react, Kuroka felt an arm around her throat as she was slammed into the nearby shrine wall, "Where the fuck is she?!"

The Nekomata immediately used her magic to teleport a safe distance away on the rooftop of the shrine. She laughed at him from afar, "Later, loser!"

Before he could go after her, the Nekomata immediately opened a gateway of some kind and teleported away from him.

Issei was seething with anger as a few moments of silence passed. He quickly calmed himself before any of his power could explode outwardly.

' _God damn it…I should have known better than to fall for something so stupid! What was I thinking trusting that bitch?!'_ Issei fumed.

' _ **There's nothing you can do about it now, partner. The kitsune girl is gone, and you have no idea where to even start looking for her or her mother,'**_ Ddraig tried to calm him down.

' _It's getting late…I should go take care of this race. But damn it, I don't like the idea of those people having some little girl in their custody!'_ Issei thought furiously.

' _ **Focus on one thing at a time. This matter barely involves us anyway. The real issue is Crom Cruach…assuming he's involved. You may very well need to use your actual power if you cross paths with him. For now, go do the race and we can track them down afterwards,'**_ Ddraig reassured him.

Finally, Issei calmed down as he got to his motorcycle, _'You're right Ddraig…I just can't believe I keep falling for people's deception. I'm supposed to be better than that! First the Serafall thing, and now this?! Am I stupid or something?!'_

' _ **Nobody is perfect, Issei. Learn from your mistakes and be more mindful in the future,'**_ the heavenly dragon replied.

' _Let's get to this race…and I'll find that Kuroka bitch after I win. Nobody calls me a loser,'_ Issei concluded.

 **Kyoto, Tiger Casino Parking Garage Rooftop**

Issei pulled up to the place he was supposed to be for the race. There were tons of people there on the parking garage rooftop. Many cheered as he rolled up to some men in suits. They were quick to address him.

"Hyoudou-san, I take it?" one of the men asked. He was wearing a nice suit.

"Yeah…" Issei said with evident anger still boiling within him.

"The race begins in ten minutes…you're late," he said seriously.

The delinquent sent the man a terrifying glare, "I showed up, so why don't you fuck off, alright? Where's this asshole I'm racing at?"

"He's waiting for you…but before the race starts, there's one thing. The Daisaku family made this for you to wear during the race," the man said ignoring Issei's insult.

He handed Issei a strange shaped motorcycle helmet. It had the likeness of a Red dragon's head, and looked extremely intimidating as spikes and teeth, stuck out of it.

Issei looked at the man confused, "What's this for?"

"It's customary to conceal your identity during the race. We don't use names for our racers, only aliases. Besides, it fits with the Red Dragon of Kuoh title that you're known by," the man replied.

"Alright then…I'll wear it. I don't want these people seeing my face anyway," Issei noted as he put it on.

"Head across the garage bridge and down to the track. Down there is where the race starts," the man pointed towards the location.

Issei didn't even bother going around as he simply drove his motorcycle off the rooftop and over several descending obstacles. To the people watching, it looked like an insane daredevil stunt as he made a huge jump and landed near the start line of the race. His entrance clearly caught a ton of attention as the crowd of onlookers cheered.

He smoothly and slowly drove up next to another motorcycle already waiting on the track's start line. The people on either side of the street and the ones watching from the nearby parking garage floors were all clearly excited. They seemed even more pumped up after Issei's insane stunt of an entrance.

The delinquent glanced over and saw his opponent for the first time. He couldn't see Mr. Black's face, but the man was wearing a blacked-out helmet and an all-black outfit.

His helmeted head turned towards Issei as he spoke for the first time over the excited cheering, "So…you're the Red Dragon of Kuoh? They said you're the best…we'll see about that."

Despite rumors of him being a foreigner, the man spoke perfect Japanese in Issei's opinion. The delinquent scoffed at Mr. Black, "You're in for a reality check if you think you're winning this race. I'm undefeated too."

"Haha…is that right? Then it'll be my honor to be the first person to smoke your ass, kid," Mr. Black taunted.

"What a flashy entrance by the infamous Red Dragon of Kuoh!" somebody announced loudly over a microphone, "does he stand a chance against the reigning champion, Mr. Black?!"

"BOOOOOO!"  
"No!" Various people announced loudly.

"Mr. Black! Mr. Black! Mr. Black!" a bunch of people started to cheer.

Their doubt in him only fueled Issei's anger. To silence the doubters and naysayers, he immediately revved up his bike as loudly as possible. Flames erupted out of all of his exhausts causing various onlookers to gasp. His motorcycle created a terrifying shriek never before heard by these regular people.

Mr. Black revved up his motorcycle causing a similar effect, though his motorcycle was less scary sounding. As the two prepared for the race to start, some guy walked up between the two of them and spoke, "The race is to the airport. The streets are set up and you will be recorded by are various checkpoint watchers the entire way there. You will be driving through urban areas with people, so watch out. The cops know not to interfere, so give it all you have racers. Mr. Black, are you ready?!"

Said man revved his motorcycle up aggressively as his helmeted head faced Issei tauntingly.

"Red Dragon of Kuoh, are you ready?" the man asked Issei.

The delinquent countered Mr. Black's gesture before facing forward with fury burning within him.

"Ready…Set…Go!"

The moment he said go, Issei popped a flaming wheelie as he erupted forward with impossible speed. Much to his surprise, Mr. Black's motorcycle did the exact same. They were matched in speed in their initial takeoff as the two shot down the road.

Issei furiously weaved through traffic as he attempted to gain an immediate lead on Mr. Black. He was easily going over 300 kph despite the traffic and random pedestrians they passed by. His inhuman reflexes were the only thing that allowed for him to maneuver around obstacles at this speed.

Much to his utter disbelief, Mr. Black was actually able to do the same thing. His motorcycle wasn't as fast as Issei's however which allowed for the delinquent to eventually gain the lead. Despite this, however, Mr. Black was able to keep up with him and was a mere body length behind him.

As the two came around a large corner, they noticed it was full of pedestrians crossing the street in a busy intersection. The people practically screamed in terror as the lunatic racers shot around the intersection corner leaving the road on fire in their wake.

This wild race continued for a decent amount of time before the two riders were eventually neck and neck. Issei looked over and saw Mr. Black flip him off as they reached a straight away. Just then a large truck pulled in front of him which allowed for Mr. Black to pull ahead.

Issei could barely believe it when he saw gold flames shoot out of the exhaust of the black motorcycle which now way ahead of him.

 _'I am NOT losing to that fucker!'_ Issei thought with delirious rage as he activated a special button on his motorcycle.

He briefly pressed a green button on his bike as he poured his energy into it, "BOOST! Transfer!"

Now he was driving twice as fast as before. He was going so fast that other vehicles unfortunate enough to be on the road blew over from the sheer force of him going by them. He was fast approaching Mr. Black, who made a swift turn towards the final straight away to the finish line.

Instead of taking the low road, Issei turned towards a parallel high road. In a final mad effort to pass over Mr. Black, he launched off his higher road and practically flew through the air with flames erupting all around him. Nearby buildings had their glass windows shatter as Issei landed in front of Mr. Black.

Moments later Issei shot onto the open airport runway. His motorcycle roared like a dragon as it passed the finish line. It took a moment for him to slow down and turn back around, but Issei was soon greeted by a crowd of onlookers who were waiting on the empty runway's finish line.

Seconds later, Mr. Black passed the finish line and almost crashed his bike as he attempted to skid to a stop. He immediately got off his motorcycle and began to stomp towards Issei.

"Congratulations, Red Dragon of Kuoh! That was-" the announcer at the finish line wasn't able to finish his statement before Mr. Black threw him away with inhuman strength.

"What the fuck was that?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs at Issei.

"You lost, asshole!" Issei countered as he immediately got in the man's face.

Everyone began to pull out their cellphones and record the two as Mr. Black grabbed Issei's jacket and lifted him off the ground.

He spoke dangerously, "You cheated! I know you did! No motorcycle can go that fast!"

Issei quickly squeezed the guy's wrists and peeled them off before pushing the man back, "Mine can."

"You're pretty strong for a punk ass kid…" the man said seriously.

Issei couldn't see the man's face beneath his helmet, but he knew Mr. Black was glaring at him with hatred, Mr. Black shook his head, "Maybe you actually are a dragon…"

"Back off, Mr. Black! The race is over! The Ryujin Family won," an old and serious looking man in a suit announced loudly as he walked over.

Finally, Mr. Black backed off of Issei. A moment later, he took off his helmet and gave Issei an intense glare, "You're going to regret making a rival out of me…Red Dragon of Kuoh."

Issei nearly jaw dropped when he saw Mr. Black's appearance for the first time. He had black and blonde hair with heterochromia eyes. The right one was gold and the left was black.

"Crom Cruach…" Issei said aloud as he took in the man's appearance.

"What?!" he bellowed furiously, "where did you hear that name, kid?!"

"Where's Yasaka and all of your little cronies?!" Issei demanded immediately.

Crom Cruach gave Issei a serious look, "Oh…I take it you're friends with her?"

"No...but I was looking for her earlier. Her daughter told me you kidnapped her mother. Take me there," Issei demanded.

"Hmph...you sure about that? You might not leave alive if I do that," Crom Cruach shot back.

' _ **This is bad, Issei…Crom Cruach isn't like Timat. He can and will annihilate you if you don't take him seriously,'**_ Ddraig warned Issei.

"What's going on between you two?! The race is over! There will be no fighting! The matter is settled honorably!" the obvious Yakuza leader announced seriously.

Crom Cruach scoffed, "I was just leaving. Hey, kid...let's settle this like men away from this audience of weaklings and cowards. I'll take you there if you want."

"Let's go then," Issei said as he followed behind Crom Cruach on his motorcycle.

"Wait, where are you two going?" the recovering announcer asked confused.

Issei had no doubts that their unusual standoff was going to be the gossip of the town in Kyoto. Thankfully, at least it wasn't in Kuoh.

"W-wait, Hyoudou-san! About your winnings-" one of the men tried to stop him.

"Send it to my shop…I'll pick it up there," Issei said before taking off after the black dragon.

 **Outside of Kyoto, unknown location**

After following Crom Cruach for a considerable distance, Issei and his new arch-rival were now outside of some type of strange base.

Upon stopping, Crom Cruach whistled loudly, "Get out here, you useless humans!"

Not even a minute later, a large group of humans came out as well as Kuroka. Issei was even more surprised to see Yasaka walk out with almost hollow looking eyes. It was as if she was under some kind of mind control spell.

"Back already, Crom? Who's that?" a man with silver blonde hair asked.

Crom Cruach ignored him as he turned around and faced Issei, "So, I take it you're the dragon that Kuroka encountered earlier? Issei Hyoudou? That's funny, because I've never heard of you. Is that actually your name?"

"Yeah it is…" Issei replied with a straight face.

Kuroka was quick to recognize Issei and laughed at him, "My my, who would have thought that we'd be seeing each other again so soon!"

"Wait, this guy's the dragon you ran into, Kuroka?" someone asked.

"You're a moron Crom Cruach, why'd you lead him to us?" Kuroka shook her head at him.

"Who are these people?" Issei asked the other dragon seriously as he got off of his motorcycle and removed his helmet.

He briefly made eye contact with Kuroka and sent her a death glare before facing Crom Cruach again.

Crom Cruach eyed Issei up and down and shrugged, "The real question is who are you? I know every major dragon in the world. You're clearly powerful if you know who I am and you're not cowering in fear."

"Does it really matter who I am? I'm just another dragon…like you," Issei sighed.

"Not like me…there aren't any other dragons like me," Crom Cruach hissed.

"Why did you kidnap the Youkai leader? What are you people even doing?" Issei asked seriously.

Crom Cruach glanced over at one of the humans, "Explain, weaklings."

Another blonde man with glasses and a sword at his side walked up and spoke, "We are the Hero Faction…members of the Khaos Brigade. We kidnapped Yasaka the youkai leader of Kyoto because of her ability to open the Dragon Gate. We intend to eventually summon Great Red with her aid."

"You're fucking stupid…Ophis and her whole damn army are fucking stupid! Great Red is the mightiest being in the universe! Do you seriously think you are a match for a badass like him? Don't make me laugh!" Issei shouted angrily.

Crom Cruach eyed Issei curiously, "You speak as if you know firsthand…yet I doubt you can fathom the might of Ophis' power or that of mine."

"I can fathom my fist in your face in about two seconds!" Issei countered.

"I'd like to see you try," Crom chuckled.

"How do you know that Ophis is the leader of the Khaos Brigade?" a blonde girl with a magician hat asked Issei shocked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?! Give me Yasaka, and Kunou…and maybe I'll spare all of your lives!" Issei warned them.

"Ahahaha! You want to fight me? That's brave of you. I'll fight you right now then," Crom Cruach chuckled.

"Crom, we can't draw attention here! If you go off and start a huge fight with another dragon, it'll alert heaven and hell to what we're doing! You're not exactly subtle!" the witch hat girl exclaimed.

"Shut up Le Fay…this prick already one upped me in the race. He's not walking away without an ass-beating if I can help it!" Crom growled.

"Siegfried! Arthur! One of you do something! We can't just let Crom go wild!" the girl Le Fay shouted to the man with glasses and the silver-blonde haired man next to him.

"Stand down, Crom! You don't want to ruin Ophis' plan! She'll punish you if you expose us too soon!" Arthur bellowed.

"Crom Cruach, back off! Did you hear what he just said?!" another voice announced loudly. The dragon reluctantly stopped his advance towards Issei as another man showed up.

Issei watched with curiosity as a black-haired man with blue eyes walked out towards him.

The newly arrived man examined Issei and smiled, "I see Crom Cruach was foolish enough to bring you here. Though we were bound to meet eventually. My name is Cao Cao; I'm the leader of the Hero Faction. Nice to meet you."

"I seriously don't care who you are," Issei replied.

"Issei Hyoudou, what is in it for you to rescue Yasaka and her daughter? If you are an unaffiliated dragon, then why are you trying to rescue Youkai? Kuroka informed us that you claimed no allegiance to anyone." Cao Cao said curiously.

"I told the girl that I would find her mom. That's all you need to know," Issei replied dangerously.

"And so you have…but now that begs the question, how you intend to take her from us?" Cao Cao asked.

"Well…I could just kill you all if I had to, but I'd rather not waste the energy. I seriously don't care what your Khaos Brigade does…just let the girl and her mother go," Issei answered.

"That's a bold statement…you truly believe you can kill us all? I think you're bluffing," Cao Cao said with a light smile.

Issei shrugged, "A better idea just came to mind…how's about you guys fuck off and let them go, or I'll go inform Serafall Leviathan about the Khaos Brigade and its plans."

"What?!" Cao Cao said surprised, "are attempting to blackmail us?"

"Yeah that's right asshole. I'll go tell Sitri and Gremory all about you guys. I'll tell Archangel Gabriel and Azazel too," Issei threatened them.

Cao Cao narrowed his gaze, "How did you learn about the Khaos Brigade and Ophis? You know far too much."

"Vali and Tiamat told me. They told me all about the Khaos Brigade and tried to recruit me into it. I told them I had no interest getting involved in your politics," Issei told the truth.

"That's ironic, considering you're trying to rescue a damsel in distress with blackmail," Kuroka laughed at him.

Issei sent a furious look towards the Nekomata, "I'm going to fuck you up, if you don't shut up cat girl!"

"I only liked the first half of that sentence," Kuroka giggled causing a few of the Hero Faction people to deadpan.

"That's quite enough devil…I only tolerate you around here because Arthur and Le Fay insist on your usefulness. Don't make me regret it," Cao Cao said annoyed.

Kuroka visibly clinched in disapproval at the man's words as she strolled away towards Arthur and Le Fay.

"Hey, do you actually know Vali?" the blonde magician girl identified as Le Fay interrupted.

Issei sighed, "Yeah…she goes to my school."

"You said Vali told you about the Khaos Brigade? Why would someone as powerful as Vali go out of her way to recruit you?" Arthur asked seriously.

Issei crossed his arms, "Hell if I know. She's not half bad for a devil though."

"Vali is much more than a devil…she's-" Arthur replied in a low tone.

"Half human, and a descendant of Lucifer, I know. She told me all about it," Issei interrupted the man.

Arthur narrowed his gaze, "Hmph…I see. So that's what she told you."

"Enough of that. Back to the matter at hand. I don't think you can blackmail us if you're dead," Cao Cao threatened Issei.

A moment later two red wings shot out of Issei's back as his draconic aura took form. It was definitely a cause of alarm to many of the people present, though most of the named ones didn't back away or flee.

"You're outnumbered, dragon…don't be foolish," Cao Cao said assuredly as everyone readied their weapons or sacred gears.

"Hahaha! You've got some real guts, kid!" Crom Cruach laughed in approval.

"You fool...why did you even bring him here?!" Cao Cao asked Crom with annoyance.

"He wanted to fight for the youkai...so I figured I'd give him the chance to," Crom shrugged.

"Thanks to your idiocy, now we have to deal with this..." Cao Cao sighed heavily.

A moment later Issei held up his arm causing everyone to stare at him with uncertain expressions. He spoke calmly, "I keep an illusion up to cloak me from Gabriel at all times…I can lower it right now and call her here. Or I can just open up my cell phone here and text my location to Serafall Leviathan. Do you want to take that risk? I'll start your war prematurely for you."

"W-what?!" Cao Cao said shocked.

"Who has the upper hand now?" Issei boasted.

Crom Cruach shook his head as he crossed his arms, "That's a cowardly move on your part…I thought you were going to fight us all."

"Oh I still can…but if I don't have to waste my time then I won't," Issei said fearlessly.

"Looks like the kid's one upped you Cao Cao…I mean if he calls his friends here then the secret's out," Crom Cruach said with a bored expression.

The Hero Faction leader seemed angry at the reality of the situation, "For someone who claims no allegiences, you're awfully familiar with higherups in Heaven and Hell."

"I'm neutral…I have friends everywhere. You guys can go commit suicide trying to fight Red if you want. I seriously don't care…but you're not using Yasaka or Kunou. So hand them over and get lost…and I'll keep your secrets to myself," Issei replied.

"How do we know this guy is telling the truth? Could he really summon Gabriel here?" Siefried asked Cao Cao seriously.

"He's serious…he's not even afraid right now. If you guys are insistent on maintaining secrecy, then take his offer. You don't need them to open a Dragon Gate anyway," Crom Cruach interjected.

"It would seem you've got us in a bind, Issei Hyoudou…very well, we will leave. However, should you reveal us to our enemies, then Crom Cruach will be sent to kill you," Cao Cao stated strongly.

"Wait are you for real? We're just backing down now?!" Siegfried protested.

"For now…release the Youkai. You will regret getting in my way, Issei Hyoudou," Cao Cao threatened calmly.

"Go fuck yourselves," Issei replied callously.

Shortly afterward, Yasaka was freed from her strange daze along with Kunou who was further back. Both appeared half-unconscious as they were released from whatever was affecting them.

"We will cross paths again, Issei Hyoudou…of that you can be certain." Cao Cao stated before all of the various humans departed.

After they were all gone, only Crom Cruach remained. He walked directly up to Issei and was now face to face with him. He spoke with approval, "When the time comes, I look forward to fighting you…Red Dragon Emperor."

Issei's eyes shot open in disbelief, "What are you talking about?!"

"You used a boost on your motorcycle in that race. That's cheap if you ask me. Though winning is winning I suppose. Don't worry about your secret…I'll keep it to myself. I can't fault you for keeping an ace up your sleeve. I have plenty of my own. When the time comes, you and I will settle the score," Crom Cruach said fiercely as he took his leave.

After he was gone, Issei turned towards the still dazed Yasaka and Kunou. Though they were released from whatever spell was affecting them, the two looked like they were incoherent.

Much to his relief, it looked as if they didn't catch Crom Cruach's last words to him.

Issei approached Kunou and her mother placing a hand on each of their shoulders, "Hey! You two there?"

"W-what happened? Where am I?" Yasaka asked confused.

She looked like an older version of her daughter in Issei's eyes. They were the splitting image of one another.

"I-Issei-kun?" Kunou's voice sounded as she blinked several times trying to take in the situation.

"I found your mother, Kunou…the men that kidnapped her are gone now," Issei explained.

The kitsune girl's eyes lit up when she realized her mother was there, "M-mama?!"

Yasaka appeared to be coherent finally and gave Issei a disbelieving stare, "A dragon? You…rescued us?"

"That's right," Issei replied.

"Who…what happened? Last thing I remember were these strange humans and...it's all a blur," Yasaka said shaking her head.

 _'It looks like she lost her memory about what happened. It's probably best if I keep the events of what happened to myself. She seems like the kind of person that will blabber about the Khaos Brigade to everyone. I'm not ready for some giant war to break out yet,'_ Issei thought.

"I don't know who they were…I was just trying to help Kunou find you," Issei explained.

"I…I owe you my life then," Yasaka replied in a humbled manner.

"No, it's fine…you girls are all good now," Issei replied.

"I-Issei-kun! Thank you so much for saving mama!" Kunou shouted joyously as tears fell down her face.

She embraced him tightly and happily, "You're the best!"

Issei stood there awkwardly for a moment and sighed, "Alright, enough of that. You two take care, I need to leave."

"Wait! You rescued us, and now you're just leaving?! I can't very well let you go without rewarding you properly for what you've done. Please, stay for a few days and allow me to repay you for this," Yasaka protested.

"I have school tomorrow, and some people to look after. Maybe some other time…" Issei said as he quickly got on his motorcycle.

Yasaka bowed to him with a smile, "You're always welcome in Kyoto. Please, allow me to repay you soon."

"Don't even concern yourself with it," Issei replied before shooting off into the night on his bike.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright, there's chapter 6 for you people. So, I know it probably felt like an eternity in limbo waiting on this update, but thanks for sticking it out. Some serious shit went down this chapter, and new friends and enemies were made.

To start, I hope the Serafall reveal scene wasn't too anti-climactic. It was about as realistic as I could make it. Obviously, Issei and Serafall like each other...so they're not going to hate each other over the truth. That being said, Issei was completely horrified that he was unable to figure out the truth. His reaction implies that he's more angry with himself than with her. However, now that he knows she's devil royalty, Issei feels he must distance himself from her. How will this affect events to come, and what will Serafall do to change his mind?

So, after leaving school, Issei ends up dealing with the Yakuza and has to go to a race and win some money. Just so you guys know, Issei was compared to Yakuza in previous chapters, but he's technically a Yanki. For those that don't know, a yanki is the actual term for a Japanese delinquent or thug. They're essentially gangsters and hoodlums. Yakuza is organized crime, so the two are not the same thing...though sometimes it is possible for one to be both. Think of it as a gang member working for the mafia.

The trip to Kyoto probably had some people excited for the appearance of fox girls. Once again fate (me) puts Issei in a situation where he has to get involved in something he doesn't want to. He tries to help Kunou find her mother and runs into Kuroka of all people. Some people were wondering how she and the members of Team Vali would fall into the narrative of this story. Le Fay, Arthur, and Kuroka were all revealed to be friends with Vali which will make for some interesting encounters later.

The biggest reveal of this chapter however was Mr. Black being Crom Cruach...though I'm sure that became obvious halfway through the chapter. He also knows about the Boosted Gear...making him the only person in the story who knows Issei is powerful. How will their rivalry progress?

Well anyways, thanks again for reading. Also, I really appreciate all the reviews and favs/follows I got last chapter. Stay tuned for next time and tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Red Dragon of Kuoh**

"You lowly commoner! Has it not occurred to you that the sun is up, and your mistress is waiting for you!? A lady needs her servants…especially her favorite one," Issei's alarm clock sounded, drawing the delinquent from his rest.

Issei groggily sat awake and looked over at it, "Ughh…I only got a few hours of sleep."

"If you insist on not getting out of bed, I'll have to use unconventional methods. Don't make me come over there," the alarm clock continued. Today's girl appeared to be some type of posh high society girl.

"Shut up bitch. Nothing like an Ojou-sama to start the day," Issei muttered to himself as he turned the device off. After a quick stretch, he got up and prepared for his school day. With Xenovia and Irina's paperwork done, they would probably get to transfer to Kuoh Academy soon.

Issei didn't finalize the process with Sona, but he was fairly confident that the devil girl had finished everything. Now the girls just needed to buy their uniforms…assuming they didn't already while he was in Kyoto.

As he headed into his living room, Issei saw both Xenovia and Irina checking each other's appearances. Both were in Kuoh Academy uniforms much to his surprise.

' _I guess they took care of that after all. Thank God,_ ' Issei thought somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to fool with the extra chore now.

Both perked up anxiously as he entered the room. Xenovia was the first to speak, "Hey, Issei…how do we look?"

"Like a pair of girls after my own heart," Issei remarked as he nodded approvingly.

Irina's face flushed upon hearing his comment, "W-what?"

"It's an expression…never mind," Issei replied.

"O-oh…I thought you were implying something else…" she trailed off with each word getting audibly softer and harder to hear.

"What's that? What did you think I was implying?" Issei teased her.

Irina looked at him somewhat unsure of herself, "I don't know…forget I said anything."

"I thought Issei was implying that we were compatible girlfriends for him," Xenovia added cluelessly.

Irina's face went three shades darker as she quickly pushed the bluenette, "Xenovia! Don't say things like that. I don't want you making things weird with, Issei!"

"It's weird? But I thought you li-" Xenovia didn't get to finish her sentence before Irina covered her mouth and began to wrestle her to the ground.

While this was happening, Issei looked at the table nearby and saw their transfer paperwork. He looked at it a bit suspiciously.

"Hey, how did you two get your transfer papers and schedules already? I don't remember bringing those home," Issei interrupted their brief wrestling match causing both girls to get up and approach him instantly.

Irina cleared her throat and answered, "Some devil girl brought it here when you were gone last night. She had short black hair and glasses. She was a bit stand-offish and looked mad about you not being here."

"She didn't seem to like us very much. I guess that's not surprising since we're exorcists. Although I'm not sure if she could tell to be honest," Xenovia followed up.

"Sitri…so she brought them over here herself huh? Did she ask where I was?" Issei wondered.

Xenovia and Irina traded brief glances with one another before laughing. It seemed somewhat odd to see the normally stoic Xenovia laughing as she walked over towards the TV and turned it on.

As she was doing this, Irina spoke to Issei, "Everyone knows where you were last night…it's all over the news."

"Wait, what?! They do?!" Issei said seriously as he walked closer towards the TV and saw that the news was on.

"Street Racing in Japan…is it a small-time problem or is it a danger to society? Many people report that a high stakes motorcycle race occurred between two rival Yakuza branches in Kyoto last night. According to eyewitnesses, the race had two unknown riders known by the aliases of Mr. Black and the Red Dragon of Kuoh. Local police have pieced together parts of the race and have captured images of these two riders and their motorcycles." A news reporter announced.

Issei's face visibly widened with dread as a picture of him and Crom Cruach at the start of the race came on the screen. Luckily, they had their helmets on, but the picture showed a really good close-up of his motorcycle.

"The two racers' identities are unknown at this time, and neither vehicle is registered unsurprisingly. Many local officials and police in Kyoto report that this race caused widespread destruction through some unknown means. There are many that suspect the vehicles were weaponized in some way and that this is a dangerous new blood sport called a death race. Some witnesses claim to have been present when the racers drove by," the reporter continued.

The TV shifted to the scene of a street on Kyoto where countless police vehicles and construction workers could be seen in the background. A reporter was holding up a microphone to a man who had a wild expression, "I was just working…and then out of nowhere, I hear a roaring in the distance! I didn't even see motorcycles drive by, but glass just started shattering on every store window down the street and cars were flipping over! There was fire in a line the whole way down the road too!"

"Sir, do you think the motorcycles were responsible for the destruction? How can that explain all of the destruction and force it would take to cause this much damage?" the reporter asked him.

"They must be high-tech and have some crazy weapons on them, because I heard them, but I didn't see them!" the man almost shouted.

The scene went back into the anchor room where one of the news anchors shook her head, "Luckily there were no deaths in this death race, but dozens were badly injured from the destruction. At this time, police are doing everything they can to crack down on the Yakuza families and find out what happened. So far, their progress has been slow. The police commissioner had this to say…"

The news then shifted to footage of the police commissioner, "We are doing everything we can at this time to get to the bottom of this, but unfortunately there are no solid leads linking any specific Yakuza branch to this crime. We will report more when and if we can."

A moment later, Issei felt his phone vibrate. He looked down and read the message on it, _[Good work, winning the race, Hyoudou. You won us a lot of money and respect. Unfortunately, you drew a lot of negative press. That's bad for business kid. We're already paying off the police to stop snooping, but don't be surprised if people start figuring out who you are…unless you want to stop riding your motorcycle around Kuoh. The remainder of your cut has been direct deposited into your account. We got the information from your business partner at the shop. We made sure your bank didn't ask any questions either.]_

Issei didn't bother responding to the message as he looked at Irina and Xenovia.

"You went to some illegal street race to win a bunch of money? I didn't know you were a criminal, Issei…" Irina said with a slight smirk. He was somewhat surprised that she wasn't condemning him for it.

"I'm amazed there's anyone capable of racing you in the first place. Who was that Mr. Black person?" Xenovia asked curiously.

Issei shrugged, "Some other dragon…it doesn't matter."

Irina looked somewhat concerned, "Another dragon? Why was he racing?"

"Most dragons are thrill hunters, power seekers, glory chasers, and treasure hoarders. They love stuff like racing and fighting…especially if it's for some big prize. Regardless, we need to go soon if we intend on getting to school on time," Issei sighed.

"I was curious about that…how are we going to get there exactly? Are we walking? Taking a bus maybe?" Irina wondered.

"Take a guess, Irina…you're riding with me," Issei replied as he headed into his garage.

Irina and Xenovia reluctantly followed him in there and traded disbelieving looks as Issei opened the door and revved his bike up. He began to ease it out of the garage and looked back at them, "What are you waiting for? C'mon!"

"B-but…you're in trouble with the law! What if someone sees us on that motorcycle?!" Irina protested.

"What are they going to do? Arrest me? Pfft…get on!" he reiterated causing the two girls to cautiously get on the back.

This time, Xenovia was the one sitting closer. She hugged onto Issei tightly as her arms snaked around his waist. The bluenette felt a slight shudder go throughout her body as her chest pressed against his back.

"I could get used to this," Xenovia said absent-mindedly.

"Get used to what?! You don't have to hug him that tightly, Xenovia! I have plenty of room, you know," Irina spoke up as she got on.

Before their conversation could continue, Issei sped out of his driveway causing both girls to scream at the sudden high speed.

 **Kuoh Academy**

Issei drove up to school with a foreboding sense of dread washing over him, _'Not only did I make the news in the Underworld, but I made the news in Japan too…the next few days are going to be a nightmare. Thank God mom and dad are out of town still.'_

His arrival to school was met with the exact scenario he imagined. The usual crowds were pouring through the gate towards Kuoh Academy trying to make it to their first morning classes on time. Every pair of eyes in the front of the school turned to see Issei drive up on his motorcycle.

Many of them had wide, disbelieving stares as their eyes focused on the delinquent and the two girls riding on the back of his bike with him. Ignoring the attention, Issei pulled up to park in his usual location.

He was not surprised to see Vali and Tiamat both waiting there for him. Both had extremely amused smirks as he got off and approached them. Xenovia and Irina let out sighs of relief and awkwardly looked around at the small crowd that was blatantly staring at the group.

Tiamat immediately approached the brunette delinquent with a wide grin, "I saw you on TV last night, Issei."

"I don't doubt that…" Issei trailed off as he glanced around at the gawking crowd. Every time he would look at someone, their eyes would shoot down or away. Many were acting as if his gaze would turn them to stone.

"Well…local and Underworld news I guess I should clarify. You really did some work yesterday didn't you?" Tiamat grinned.

Issei cocked his head confused, "What?"

"I didn't think I'd ever see you in a Rating Game, haha," Tiamat laughed.

Issei's eyes widened slightly, "Wait…you both saw that too?"

"Oh yes we did! I watch almost all of the Rating Games actually. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you in the Gremory vs Phenex game yesterday. I like the part where you said he was a moron for picking a fight with a dragon. I always knew you were a strong dragon. That's why you belong with us," Tiamat said approvingly.

"I see…" Issei replied almost shocked. He kept his disposition cool but was truly surprised.

' _I'm so lucky that I didn't use my Boosted Gear in that rating game. Granted that would have been overkill…but since Crom Cruach noticed it in our race, I wonder if Tiamat would have been able to see it too? The news footage never caught any images of us during the actual race I hope,'_ Issei thought briefly.

"Riser Phenex isn't high tier or anything, but I doubt any of the pushovers around here could beat him in a fight. Why'd you help Gremory out anyways?" Vali asked.

Issei sighed, "Well I wanted to transfer my friends Xenovia and Irina into the school. Seeing as Sitri is the class president, I asked her for help. She only agreed if I would fight for Rias Gremory in her Rating Game. So, it was sort of a forced thing. I initially turned her down. The main thing that set me off to do it however was that Phenex asshole pissing me off."

"So, these were those friends that you said were living with you now? They're exorcists, yeah? I have to say, I wasn't expecting them to be some cute girls." Vali announced curiously.

"Yeah, this is my childhood friend, Irina Shidou and her best friend Xenovia Quarta." Issei introduced the girls.

"Who are they, Issei? I didn't realize you had so many attractive female friends…" Irina trailed off as she looked between Vali and Tiamat.

"I'm flattered you think so," Vali said with an approving smirk.

"This is Vali and Tiamat. They're acquaintances of mine," Issei told Irina.

"Tiamat as in the Chaos Karma Dragon?!" Irina's eyes widened.

"Oh, you've heard of me?" Tiamat chuckled.

"Aren't you a Dragon King?!" Irina half-demanded.

Tiamat proudly nodded, "Yes, but I'm more along the lines of Dragon Queen in case that wasn't obvious."

Issei sighed, "Don't feed her ego, Irina. She's arrogant enough already."

Vali looked at him somewhat surprised, "Did you just refer to us as acquaintances? I was under the impression that we were good friends. I mean we're all on a first name basis, aren't we? That's a big deal in this country isn't it?"

"Yeah that is a blurry line isn't it? I met some of your other friends last night, Vali," Issei changed the subject.

"Really? Who?" she said curiously.

Issei looked around before leaning in closer, "Some cat girl and these guys in the 'Hero Faction' or whatever it's called."

"Huh? That's interesting. You were in Kyoto last night for that street race, weren't you? Did you find out what they were doing there?" Vali wondered.

The delinquent shrugged, "I don't know…something about opening a dragon gate. I just happened to run into them after I won my race."

"Interesting…we'll talk more about that in private, Issei. Let's get to class so these people will stop staring at us," the silver haired devil gestured for him to follow her.

Everyone watching from a distance had eyes of fearful awe on Issei as he casually strolled to his classroom. The escort of four attractive girls also projected an aura of dominance as the delinquent paid no mind to the wild gossiping that was going on all around him.

Irina and Xenovia had been mostly quiet but were staying close to Issei as they did not feel comfortable in this school filled with devils. It was obvious that they could both tell Vali was a devil.

"Hey Issei…I thought you didn't like devils," Xenovia spoke up without any shame.

Vali immediately caught on to what was being implied as she turned her gaze to the blue haired girl, "I'm not with the devils around here. I'm only half-devil."

"A half devil is still a devil as far as I'm concerned. How do you know Issei?" Irina decided to join the inquisition.

"Cut her some slack, Irina. Vali is alright and she's not going to do anything to you. Don't start any shit with anyone. I don't need that extra drama in my life," Issei interrupted before an argument could break out.

Xenovia and Irina traded skeptical expressions but didn't press the issue further. They both knew not to annoy Issei too much after the situation involving Raynare and Kalawarner.

As they made their way through the halls, Issei turned towards Irina and Xenovia, "Go drop off your paperwork at the faculty offices and a teacher will escort you to class. I'll see you in a little bit."

"O-okay…" Irina said skittishly as Issei lightly pushed them in the direction of the faculty offices.

After she and Xenovia reluctantly parted ways with the delinquent, he heard Tiamat laugh, "So what's with the girls anyway? Are you collecting females to breed with?"

"They're friends of mine that are looking to deal with fallen angels or something…I honestly don't care that much about it. I'm just letting them stay with me for a while," Issei shrugged.

"Friends huh? Those two cute girls are living with you and now they're going here to this school…you sure they're just friends?" Tiamat teased.

The brunette rolled his eyes, "Yeah, and they're only humans too, so I'd appreciate it if you left them alone."

"How long do you plan on letting them stay with you? If they're going to be attending this academy, then I'd imagine it isn't a temporary thing no?" Vali cut in.

Issei gave her a dry look, "I could ask the same thing of you two. Why are you still going here?"

"Same reason as you...to get an education," Vali replied with amusement.

"Spare me the bullshit. Irina used to be my neighbor and I'm certain she and Xenovia are probably going to finish up high school here anyways," Issei rolled his eyes.

Vali crossed her arms, "So you're just going to let them live with you for the next year and a half or two?"

"Her old house is for sale I believe. It's right next to mine. I'll probably just buy it for them so that they can do their own thing and leave me alone," he countered.

"You're going to buy them a place? That's not something I'd imagine you to do for someone. You trying to impress them, Issei? Maybe you should throw a little bit of that affection our way while you're at it," Tiamat laughed.

Issei deadpanned at her, "Don't ever say that word again…I'm cool with you two, but there is no 'affection' here alright? I have a shitload of money now thanks to that race, and its trivial for me to buy a spare house next to mine and let them use. Don't twist this into something stupid and lame, okay?"

"Ah, don't tell me you're embarrassed. Why would you have a reason to feel embarrassed unless you're hiding something hmm?" Tiamat grinned.

"Why do you insist on being an annoying bitch?" Issei sighed.

Tiamat chuckled at his question, "Hey chill out, will you? I'm used to being stoic and serious all the time when I'm around the devils. You should feel honored that I actually cut loose with you and have fun. This is all part of being a dragon."

"If you say so," the delinquent shrugged.

 _ **'I thought it would be best to not tell you, but I might as well at this point. Female dragons will typically do this to males to provoke them. It's some type of...umm courtship ritual. You're better off ignoring it, Issei,'**_ Ddraig's voice sounded in his head.

 _'So she's being a bitch to me to make me like her? How does that work? Wait...does that mean she likes me?! You're saying she's Tsundere?'_ Issei thought confused.

Ddraig let out an awkward and cringey groan, _**'It's a provocation to incite you into trying to dominate her. You're better off ignoring her if you don't want to deal with that. Tiamat is a bit crazy as I'm sure you've noticed by now.'**_

 _'You can't be serious...that's just what I needed,'_ Issei groaned sarcastically.

 _ **'It will be very interesting to see how she reacts when she finds out about me...she will definitely try to kill you then.'** _Ddraig noted.

 _'So what was that thing she did with the blue fire?'_ Issei asked curiously.

 _ **'...'** _Ddraig didn't respond to him.

 _'Tell me it's not what I think it is, Ddraig...was she marking me or something?'_ Issei thought seriously.

The Heavenly Welsh Dragon sighed, _**'Let's not dwell on this...'**_

 _'Good talk, buddy...'_ Issei said somewhat annoyed.

"Well, now that they're gone, I guess it's appropriate to talk to you about my other friends," Vali changed the subject.

"You sure we have time? Class is about to start," Tiamat reminded her.

Vali shrugged, "I want to explain some things to Issei before anything else pops off around here."

"So, what? You just expect me to go to class by myself? Screw that, I'll go with you guys. Not like we're missing anything during the lecture that I don't know anyways," Tiamat replied.

"Suit yourself, but this isn't going to take that long," she responded carelessly.

Instead of going to the classroom, the three troublemakers all went to the roof of the building. Upon arriving, Vali immediately stopped as she looked over the horizon.

Slowly, she turned around and faced the delinquent Issei with serious eyes, "So you ran into the Hero Faction in Kyoto? I take it they kidnapped the Youkai leader to open the Dragon Gate then? Did you rescue her?"

"Rescue is such a strong and exaggerated word. I found them after my race because I was helping this girl look for her mother. Initially, I thought she was a normal girl, but she just so happened to be Yasaka's daughter. I convinced the Hero Faction to let her go," Issei cut in.

Vali shook her head, "Call it what you will, but that doesn't change the fact that you undermined the Khaos Brigade…specifically the Hero Faction."

"Oh no…does that mean we can't be friends anymore?" Issei asked with half-hearted and feigned emotion.

"Look, I personally don't care that you stopped them. Their plan was actually pretty stupid to begin with. There's no way that they would stand a chance against Great Red. That aside, I honestly don't know what they were thinking by kidnapping a political leader. It could have set off the war preeminently," the silver haired devil replied.

"What's the deal with the Hero Faction anyways? They all seemed human to me from what I could tell. What do they get out of being in the Khaos Brigade? Why are they helping Ophis?" the delinquent interjected.

"The Hero Faction is made of all humans…and they don't like anyone who isn't human. They work with the Khaos Brigade out of an alliance of convenience in order to fight against other various factions and mythologies. From what I understand, Cao Cao and Ophis have a deal. I don't know the details of it, but it's a shaky alliance at best. Ophis' power is the only reason they haven't dared to try anything yet. They'd rather be on her side...especially because she's opposed to many of their enemies," Vali explained.

"Is that why they work with devils, dragons, and cat girls?" he said doubtfully.

Vali shook her head, "It's not common for them to work with any non-humans directly."

"So why did they have a cat girl and a dragon working for them last night?" Issei asked.

"A dragon?! Who?!" Tiamat interrupted with a serious glare.

"I don't know who he was, but I could sense he was a dragon," Issei lied.

Tiamat gritted her teeth, "What did he look like?"

"He had black and blonde hair and different colored eyes. He looked like a foreigner…same as you two," Issei replied.

Tiamat's eyes widened, "That description sounds like Crom Cruach! I take it he was Mr. Black then!? You raced Crom Cruach last night?!"

"I guess…" Issei shrugged carelessly.

The blue dragon gritted her teeth at him disbelievingly, "Do you even know who Crom Cruach is?!"

"Should I?" Issei shrugged carelessly.

"You're young…I suppose it's not surprising that you wouldn't know. He's a very powerful black dragon…and I mean VERY powerful. He's also the most powerful of the evil dragons," Tiamat explained vaguely.

Vali cut in with a stern tone, "Why would Cao Cao ever work with Crom Cruach? Better yet…why would Crom Cruach work with Cao Cao? Neither one seems like they'd have the disposition to tolerate orders from the other."

"They probably needed his help to open the Dragon Gate. That or they probably couldn't take on Yasaka without him," Tiamat suggested.

"They may be humans, but the Hero Faction isn't weak by any means, Tiamat. If Cao Cao was involved, I don't see why he'd even need Crom Cruach's help…or why that crazy black dragon would ever involve himself with them. This is very strange," Vali said distantly.

"Well you're all part of the Khaos Brigade, and you all work for Ophis…maybe she was responsible. If this alliance between different forces is shaky like you said, then it would only make sense for Ophis to send an enforcer to 'help' the Hero Faction out," Issei suggested.

Vali eyed him curiously, "That is a definite possibility. Crom Cruach would obey Ophis…and I wouldn't put it past her to send an enforcer to keep an eye of Cao Cao."

"What about the cat girl then? Why's a devil nekomata hanging out with a bunch of purist humans?" Issei asked.

"It sounds like you're talking about Kuroka Toujou. She is one of my friends…she's also very close to my pals Arthur and Le Fay in the Hero Faction. Those two are the only actual people I'm friends with from the Hero Faction. I'm assuming they probably convinced Cao Cao to tolerate her presence. She would certainly be knowledgeable on how to deal with Yasaka's youkai magic as well," Vali answered.

Issei cracked a fist, "Well she kidnapped the girl from me and was extremely condescending. She better not come around me again if she knows what's good for her. I don't care if she's your friend…I will straight up kill that bitch."

"I'm surprised you didn't try fighting them, Issei…especially if you didn't know who they all were," Tiamat added.

He shook his head, "I really considered it, but in the end, I just don't care enough to swing my dick around to prove a point to those pussies."

' _That and I know for a fact it would have led to me having to use my boosted gear against Crom Cruach,'_ Issei thought to himself.

' _ **Or worse, set off this war early and make enemies of the entire Khaos Brigade. I suppose you should prepare yourself for it, because your cover stories fall apart more and more each passing day it seems. It's inevitable at this point,'**_ Ddriag added mentally.

' _I mean I know that's coming eventually, Ddraig, but would it kill these people to leave me alone for the rest of high school?! I don't even get to hang out with Red anymore!'_ Issei fumed mentally.

" _ **You better not miss his four-portal explosion stunt…he'll destroy the Earth, Heaven, and Hell if that happens,"**_ Ddraig added.

' _If it wasn't for my parents and the few people I actually liked here, then I would gladly welcome that. I guess I should just come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to reveal myself soon. At the very least maybe it'll scare them away from me. I sure as hell won't let these mother fuckers near Red whenever they go after him,'_ Issei thought.

"Kuroka is very powerful Issei…it's probably a good thing you didn't pick a fight with her or Cao Cao…especially Crom Cruach too. I know you're powerful, but Crom Cruach is the strongest of the evil dragons. I doubt even Tiamat, or I could defeat him. You were wise not to fight them," Vali noted.

"Yeah, they probably would have killed me. That might explain my instincts to not attack. Luckily, it didn't come to that." Issei stated distantly.

"How did you resolve the issue then if you didn't fight them? I have a hard time imagining them backing down. What happened with Yasaka the Youkai leader?" Vali wondered.

Issei crossed his arms as he sighed, "Well initially, I threatened them out of anger, but after the situation dawned on me I went with a better solution. I threatened to expose them unless they'd leave."

"Really? That doesn't seem like you at all…" Vali shook her head disbelievingly.

"They were also your allies," He interjected.

"C'mon Issei, seriously?! You're a damn dragon. You blackmailed them then?! Now Crom Cruach and the rest of them are going to think you're some weak chump. What kind of threat of exposure could have possibly made them back down?" Tiamat protested.

"I told them I'd summon Gabriel the angel if they didn't let Yasaka and her daughter go," Issei answered.

Vali's eyes widened seriously, "Archangel Gabriel? How do you know her?"

"She showed up randomly in my house recently and tried to warn me about some devil girl deceiving me. I assumed she meant you but…" Issei trailed off as he didn't want to mention Serafall to them.

"But what?! Who was she talking about" Tiamat piped up aggressively.

"Leviathan," Issei sighed.

"Hmm…I'm not surprised Leviathan would go after you. Did she try to recruit you into her peerage?" Tiamat asked.

Issei looked away, "Something like that…in any case, I told Cao Cao and your other friends that I'd summon Gabriel or Leviathan if they didn't back down."

"Hmm…that's actually pretty smart, but it certainly doesn't make you look very good," Vali noted.

"For real…they must think you're some pussy now," Tiamat scoffed.

"I don't care about their opinions in the slightest. I don't know why my reputation matters to you. I'm just glad that bullshit is over now," he countered.

"Wait…so you did that to make them think you were weak then, didn't you? Why?! Seriously, I can't understand you Issei. What's the point in downplaying your power one day and manhandling devils another? Don't you take any pride in being a dragon? Even if you're a half dragon, I can't fathom where your damn pride is in all of this. I mean is this delinquent thing all a hoax?! How can you just let your reputation get damaged like that?! Everyone in the mythological world is practically immortal…and they remember everything you fucking do. Are you an idiot when it comes to politics? You should have just walked away instead of playing hero. If the fools would have succeeded, then they'd have their hands full with Great Red anyways. You had no business getting involved in this nonsense." Tiamat scoffed.

Issei shrugged, "My pride has nothing to do with what nobodies like them think of me. I'm above all of that stupid shit. Besides…I wasn't about to pick a fight over something that didn't actually matter to me. I just wanted to reunite the girl with her mother. If I actually wanted to play hero, I'd have fought them. It doesn't matter to me how it was resolved...only that it's over now."

"Well now that you've involved yourself in the Yasaka situation, they're going to have it out for you regardless. I'm honestly shocked that Crom Cruach didn't kill you even with your threat to expose them. He despises weakness. What on earth could have convinced him to back down?" Tiamat shook her head with disbelief.

"I couldn't say. Maybe he gave me a pass because I beat him in the race. I really don't care anymore. That crap's history, and I have no interest in getting involved any further than I already have," he sighed.

Vali looked at him uncertainly, "So you say you were helping Yasaka's daughter? Why did you go out of your way for her? What compelled you to get involved in the first place and help them if you don't care?"

"I just happened to run into her daughter while I was in Kyoto. I assumed she was some girl who lost her parents…I didn't want to get involved in a political kidnapping. By the time I found out about all that other stuff, I couldn't just ditch the kid. I might be an asshole, but I'm not heartless," Issei sighed.

"Well, I'll vouch for you if the Hero Faction tries starting any shit again. I would prefer you remain on good terms with the Khaos Brigade. For the record however, don't pick fights with our allies unless you intend on making enemies of us. I don't want you to be on the wrong side of this conflict when it all breaks out. You got off lucky from that situation," Vali spoke sternly.

"I'll keep that in mind next time then," Issei said with disinterest.

"Well, we should probably get back to class I suppose. No need to make an even bigger scene out of your arrival at school today," Vali sighed as she walked towards the door.

She stopped halfway there and looked back at Issei and Tiamat, "Yo, are you two coming or what?"

"In a minute, Vali. Since we're here, I kind of wanted to talk to Issei about the Rating Game," Tiamat replied.

The devil girl turned around, "Yeah? What about?"

"Dragon stuff…nothing that really concerns a devil like you, Vali. You mind giving us a minute alone?" Tiamat replied with a noticeable smile. Issei couldn't help but find it strange when Vali shared a similar expression.

"Hurry up then…I'll be in class," Vali replied before leaving Issei and Tiamat alone.

Once she was gone, Issei gave Tiamat a questioning stare. He didn't say anything and neither did she for a long empty silence.

Finally, after Vali was a reasonable distance away, Tiamat spoke up sternly, "You should know that everyone in Hell is losing their minds about that Rating Game you were in."

"Yeah, Sitri's slaves told me it was broadcasted for all of Hell to see," Issei shrugged with a feigned carelessness.

"I'm going to tell you a secret, Issei…it's the real reason why the devils haven't tried to start anything with me here. I'm actually the real judge of Rating Games. When I said I watch over them, I meant that literally. The Maou all know me personally," Tiamat explained.

Issei gave her a careless look, "What's your point?"

"My point?! Didn't you just hear what I said?!" she growled.

"I fail to see how this is relevant to me," he countered.

"It's relevant because you and I are friends, and all of the high-ranking devils know it! Ajuka Beelzebub asked me about you recently. He wanted to know why such a powerful dragon like you was rogue, and why I was hanging out with you. He's very suspicious of my relationship to you and Vali," the dragon woman said seriously.

"That's kind of a heavy word to use here…I don't know if I'd say there is any 'relationship' here," Issei said dismissively.

"It doesn't matter what you or I think…it's about how things are perceived. I find myself in an odd situation now. Ajuka-sama was insisting that I introduce you to him…among other things. To keep up my cover, I had no choice but to agree to ask you on his behalf," Tiamat trailed off.

"What other things?!" Issei growled already suspecting something he didn't want to hear.

"You're probably not aware of this, but almost every relevant dragon in the world is either serving someone or they're sealed into a sacred gear. As you know, I am superficially aligned with the current Maou…though they assume I'm wholly loyal." Tiamat began.

"If they think you're loyal, then why are they so worried about you being here?" Issei wondered.

"I was just about to explain that. I'm very powerful, and as you probably know, devils and angels like to keep tabs on where every powerful being is at all times. My loyalty technically only extends to Ajuka Beelzebub. Some of the other Satans and their families find me unsettling since I'm an unbound dragon king. They're pretending like my freedom doesn't worry them, but they wouldn't send Leviathan here unless they were afraid of my close proximity to two of their heirs. As for why I blatantly hang out with you and Vali here it's because I find it best to hide in plain sight. It makes me look less suspicious." She explained

Issei tilted his head confused, "Umm…so they're not suspicious of Vali then? Some Gremory servant from the Lucifuge Clan showed up to warn me and Vali not too recently. What have you told them about her and me?"

"Nothing, I just said you were my friends. They know Vali is a questionable devil, but they're not aware of anything beyond that as far as I know. You on the other hand…you've got them all worked up. After your Rating Game, Ajuka-sama told me that he was interested in recruiting you as an Underworld Dragon like me. I told him I'd talk to you about it and I assured him you meant no harm to the devils in Kuoh," Tiamat elaborated in detail.

Issei deadpanned, "Not gonna happen…you can tell him I said no. I'm not a devil's pet!"

"You wouldn't be Issei. At least, I don't think they'd force you to be. Tannin, a former dragon king was reincarnated as a devil dragon, but you wouldn't have to do that. I'm not suggesting anything that extreme. You would just be in the same position I am...and only temporarily," Tiamat elaborated.

"If this position is so great, then why are you plotting to betray these devils later anyway? That would practically force me to have to side with you during this war you're about to start." Issei pointed out with distaste.

Tiamat chuckled, "You noticed that, did you? Ha, well here's the thing. I don't hate the current Maou, but I'm not going to serve them anymore when the time comes. I doubt you'll accept the offer, but I figured it was probably a good idea to give you the option and a heads up about this, Issei. I won't be able to protect you if they come after you. People do not like rogue dragons…your refusal to align with anyone is bound to invite serious hostilities from all sides. The Hero Faction will especially have it out for you when they find out about your reputation. Everyone might have been willing to overlook you before, since they didn't know you were powerful, but after that Rating Game, you're the talk of the Underworld. Leviathan and Beezelbub already know who you are, and from what you've said, so does Archangel Gabriel. Your days of flying under the radar are over. People are going to know that you have no allies and that makes you fair game for anyone who wants to come after you," the blue haired dragon continued.

"What is the Underworld saying about me?" Issei asked.

"A lot…and most of it isn't good. The way I see it, you have two options. One you can do what I'm doing and play along with the devils until the war breaks out. We can also go meet Ophis and set you up as one of us. Or two, you can say no to everyone and make yourself a huge target for the devil nobility, fallen angels, and the Khaos Brigade. If you choose the first option, you won't have to worry about Crom Cruach or anyone coming after you. If you choose the second option, then someone will likely come after you without fear of political backlash. You're going to have to pick a side if you want to survive," Tiamat sighed in annoyance.

"I choose option 2." he shook his head.

Tiamat's eyes gazed upon him with annoyance, "Look…I just don't want to see you end up dead or in a sacred gear. Historically, almost every dragon that's tried to stay rogue has ended up in sacred gears…even the Heavenly Dragons and most of the Dragon Kings. The only reason I'm still not in one is because I'm not stupid and I know how to keep myself out of the crosshairs and make allies. I don't like devils that much either Issei, but they make good shields. There aren't that many dragons left now…we as a species can't afford to act stupid. You need to play the game if you want to survive."

"Do I look fucking scared?! I don't need to do shit." Issei growled.

"Listen, hothead, I've been around a lot longer than you and I'm just trying to look out for you because I like you. We dragons need to stick together. If you keep this up, then you'll end up dead or worse…in a sacred gear," she restated.

"The real difference between your definition of freedom and mine is that I don't need to subjugate myself to get it. Freedom is a mindset...it's living without fear. You keep talking about being a real dragon…we'll see who's the real dragon in the end won't we? Let these mother fuckers come after me…it'll be the last thing they ever do. If I die then so be it...at least I'll die a real dragon," Issei said with anger rising in his voice.

"I respect that about you, Issei, but that's the exact same thing Albion and Ddraig believed right before they got sealed into sacred gears. Just think about it will you? Vali and I won't be able to protect you for very long. The war is coming soon," Tiamat hissed as Issei walked past her.

Issei stopped and turned back to look at her, "I appreciate your concern, Tiamat, but you're not changing my mind."

"So, you're just going to keep trying to stay neutral and rogue?" Tiamat confirmed with disapproval.

"Yeah, I'd kind of like to finish High School first, you know?" Issei rolled his eyes.

"Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you…let's get to class," Tiamat sighed in defeat as she followed Issei back to the classroom.

 **Issei's Classroom**

Upon returning to his classroom, Issei and a rather grumpy looking Tiamat both found their ways to their seats. The teacher was quick to call them out on being late, but Issei dismissed it saying he had to go see the student council for something important.

"You two took longer than I thought you would," Vali whispered as she looked between Issei and Tiamat.

The blue haired dragon rolled her eyes, "Issei is being a reckless idiot."

"Dragons will be dragons I suppose," Vali chuckled.

Tiamat eyed Vali curiously, "You know we can't protect him, right?"

"Maybe not, but the Sekiryuutei could if Issei ever gets in trouble," Vali pointed out.

"Will you two stop talking about me as if I'm not right next to you," Issei sighed in annoyance.

Before either girl could respond, the teacher called him out, "Hyoudou-san, could you please answer the question on the board!?"

Without even breaking his cool, Issei stood up briefly as he glanced at the question. It was some complex physics formula. Normally he hated this type of stuff, but he had become surprisingly good at it from all the time he spent learning about speed and momentum from Red.

He casually walked to the front of the class and wrote out the solution to the problem after a few seconds. The class was astonished by his effortless success as Issei placed the chalk down at the board and glanced at the teacher, "Is that right, sensei?"

"Y-yes…good work Hyoudou-san!" she replied with evident surprise.

It wasn't shocking to Issei at all. Despite his delinquent reputation and his lack of attendance, he did hold the highest score for 1st years last year at Kuoh. He would likely be number 1 for the 2nd years too unless some super genius showed up. His academic success was sadly one of the only ways that allowed for him to get away with playing hooky all the time. If it wasn't for that, he likely wouldn't bother as much with his academics.

While he was typically zoned out and never paid much attention to his actual classmates, Issei decided to look them over more closely for a moment. Their reactions were interesting to say the least. Many appeared impressed that he was intelligent and not just some wannabe thug. It was then that he spotted Kiba was actually in his class.

' _Huh…I never actually noticed he was here. Maybe it's because he sits in the front right and I sit in the back left. The whole school smells like devils and he never really talks too much,'_ Issei thought as he noticed the shocked devil's expression.

Before Issei could sit down, another teacher brought two additional girls into the classroom. After a brief conversation between the two senseis, Issei's teacher escorted the girls to the front. They were of course Xenovia and Irina. Both girls looked relieved when they saw Issei who was still standing up front.

"We have two new transfer students today. I forgot to announce that to the rest of you," The teacher said enthusiastically as she pointed towards them.

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves girls," she instructed.

"I'm Irina Shidou, I used to live in this town, but I only recently came back. Pleased to meet you all," she bowed respectfully to the class.

Xenovia went next, "My name is Xenovia Quarta. I'm from Italy and I'm also one of Issei Hyoudou's girlfriends."

Issei was caught off guard by her bold statement as he gave her a disbelieving look, _'Did she really just say that in front of all these people?!'_

"One of?! Hyoudou-kun has multiple girlfriends?!" a random girl in Issei's class practically shrieked.

"Eh?! What did she just say!?" Tiamat instantly interrupted with a fiery attitude.

Vali chuckled, "Just friends huh, Issei?"

"It would seem you really do like girls with blue hair, Hyoudou-san," Kiba muttered quietly enough for only him to hear.

The rest of the class looked like they couldn't believe it as their eyes jolted towards Issei for confirmation. Before he could clarify the statement, a familiar duo of classmates angrily protested.

"Damn you Hyoudou-teme! Stop stealing all the beautiful foreign transfer students! You'll pay for this, you despoiler!" the bald guy Matsuda shouted dramatically.

His friend quickly joined in as well as he adjusted his glasses, "Measurements: Bust 87 cm, Waist 58 cm, Hips 88 cm, Height 166 cm, Weight 56 kg! A perfect physique for a second-year girl. Already stolen by the criminal bastard Hyoudou!"

' _Did he seriously just guess all of her measurements?! How does he do that? It's impressive,'_ Issei thought as he glanced briefly at Motohama.

"Calm down everyone! She misspoke. Please forgive my friend Xenovia. Japanese isn't her first language. We're both just friends of Issei is what she was trying to say," Irina saved the situation causing the class to relax slightly.

The teacher quickly used this diversion as an excuse to change the subject, "Anyways, where would the two of you like to sit? I believe only the back seats are open."

"Next to Issei," Xenovia said blatantly.

"Ah yes, I believe there are still a few left back there. The other foreign transfer students are there as well. Hopefully you'll all get along and help each other out," the teacher noted as she gestured for the girls to sit in the back.

Issei sat down again, but he now had Irina and Xenovia both in front of him and Vali and Tiamat to his right.

Everyone was glancing back at Issei and his little entourage of girls now. All of them were staring at him as if expecting something. He ignored it all as he tried to focus on school for once.

 **Later that day**

The rest of the school day had been somewhat awkward and unusual for Issei as he noticed a few more stares than usual. He was currently walking with Xenovia and Irina towards the lunchroom. Vali and Tiamat were both off doing their own thing and seemed a bit mad at him. Well at least Tiamat did.

"Sorry we forgot to make ourselves lunches. I wasn't sure about how that worked here," Xenovia apologized to Issei.

"It's fine…I usually don't come in here because it's crowded, but we can get you some melon bread or something," Issei said casually.

Irina shook her head, "I completely forgot to make bentos. I'll start doing that from now on if you'd like."

"You don't have to go through all that effort for me. Worry about yourselves," he replied as they entered the lunchroom.

"What do you normally eat at lunch, Issei?" Xenovia asked him.

He shook his head, "It just depends. I like to bring my own snacks and eat on the roof. Usually I eat a large breakfast, so I don't have to worry about it. Occasionally I'll come in here though."

"You don't mind if we sit in here, do you?" Irina asked hopefully, "I think Vali-san said they were going to the roof earlier."

"You don't like them?" Issei asked.

Irina frowned, "I don't dislike them, but they're not exactly friendly or pleasant to be around."

"They act like that to me too. They're just mad I didn't join their faction. I told them not to give you girls any trouble...if they do then let me know and I'll take care of it," Issei explained.

The three wasted no time buying food from some of the various campus food stands before they found a table with a view near the window. Issei actually enjoyed their company as the two girls were talking about random things ranging the Dragon Scrolls game to the architecture of the campus.

"What do you think about the dragon shouting voice power, Issei? Could it be possible for a dragon to learn something like that in real life?" Xenovia asked Issei with more emotion than usual.

He thought for a moment, "Anything's possible for a dragon. If that's where they focused their training on they could easily learn how to do that."

"I'd love to have that ability. Being a dragonborn would be great," the blue-haired exorcist said approvingly.

"Are you saying you'd want to be a dragonborn in real life?" he smirked.

"I wouldn't object at all," Xenovia said proudly.

"I don't know how I'd feel about you going around and killing dragons though," Issei chuckled.

"I wouldn't want to kill them. I'd rather be one. I mean if dragons can be like you, then there's nothing inherently evil or wrong with them. You're like a heavenly dragon," Xenovia said with distant enthusiasm.

Issei tensed up for a brief moment when he heard _heavenly dragon_ , but was quick to realize that Xenovia had no awareness of what the heavenly dragons actually were. The irony behind her statement actually caused him to grin with amusement.

Irina smiled as she shook her head, "I used to think dragons were kind of evil. Angels certainly fear them, but if Gabriel-sama likes you Issei, then it's possible to be a righteous and holy dragon. I'd be okay with that too."

"You two want to be dragons? Haha, that's funny," Issei laughed at them.

"Yeah, I know it's impossible nonsense, but it'd be cool right? Dragonborn Exorcist Irina has a nice ring to it doesn't it?" Irina chirped.

"Dragonknight Xenovia Quarta wouldn't be half bad either…what do you think, Issei?" Xenovia asked for his approval.

"You'd actually have to be my girlfriend then," Issei said with another laugh.

Xenovia looked blankly at him, "I should work on becoming a Dragonknight."

The delinquent couldn't help but laugh at her bluntly stoic remark, "Whatever motivates you I guess."

"Eh?! Listen Issei, Xenovia doesn't exactly mean all the weird stuff she says. We're a bit…you know…sheltered. A life spent in the church kind of makes one socially awkward. Please don't hold it against her if she seems pushy or anything. She's not serious. Xenovia's actually very pure and just doesn't know how to act around boys," Irina tried to explain away the tension.

"You're one to talk," the stoic blue haired girl muttered with a light smile.

Issei sighed, "It's all good. I don't actually take those kinds of jokes seriously."

"Y-yeah…" Irina trailed off as she thought of something to say.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend, Issei?" Xenovia asked him bluntly. Irina immediately cringed as buried her head down.

The delinquent shrugged, "I don't know…I spend most of my time working, riding, and doing my own thing. It'd be nice, but I'm not exactly the kind of guy a high school girl would want to get involved with if you catch my meaning. Plus, every other decent option has too much baggage that comes along with it you know?"

"What about that Sera girl who was texting you the other day? She certainly seemed like she liked you…" Irina couldn't help but point out.

"It wouldn't work out even if I was interested, because she is a devil. Like I said...too much baggage," Issei stated distantly.

"R-really? Was she trying to deceive you? Is that who Gabriel-sama was warning you about?" Irina asked.

Issei nodded, "Yes, it was…I'd rather not talk about that to be honest."

"Of course, Issei…sorry to pry into your personal life," Irina apologized.

Before any more awkward conversations could break out, the trio were interrupted from their lunch meal as Sona, Rias, and a number of their peerage servants walked up. Issei recognized Tsubaki, Tsubasa, Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno.

"Sorry to bother you, Hyoudou-san, but we wanted to talk to you for a bit," Sona addressed him politely.

"Is that a request or a demand?" he countered.

Sona took a step closer and sighed, "A request. I wouldn't make any demand of you considering what you can do…and the fact that you're friends with my sister. You don't have to come, but I wanted to pass along some information to you firsthand."

"Alright fine…I'll catch up with you girls later," Issei waved to Irina and Xenovia before departing with the devils. They wasted no time heading for the student council room.

Irina and Xenovia were undoubtedly concerned about the situation, but they obeyed Issei's order as they quietly remained back and stared at the devils.

Xenovia noticed a few cautious glances from the devils as they left. She looked over at Irina concerned, "I think they know we're not just regular humans."

"Yeah, that blue-haired upperclassman was giving you a funny look," Irina noted.

 **Student Council Room**

The entire walk towards the student council room had been spent in absolute silence. Upon entering, Issei turned around and looked over the various devils curiously as they all took seats and got comfortable in various areas around the room.

Sona finally gestured for Issei to sit down across from her. He noticed Rias was sitting directly next to that seat but paid it no mind as he sat down anyways.

After more awkward silence, Sona finally spoke, "Sorry for inconveniencing you like this, but we wanted to speak with you in private away from Tiamat-sama and your other friends. Rias also has a few words that she would like to share with you."

Glancing over at the pretty redhead, Issei waited for her to speak. Rias briefly made eye contact with him before speaking, "I never thanked you the other day for helping us win. I know you don't like us devils Issei Hyoudou, but you saved my life by helping my peerage in that Rating game. You saw firsthand what kind of a man Riser Phenex was. I'm glad you put him in his place."

"You're welcome princess," Issei replied. He wasn't really sure what else to say in response as he went silent afterward.

"Listen Hyoudou-san, we have every intention of keeping things civil with you and leaving you alone, but your recent display of power has frightened a number of people in the Underworld. Many are worried about you just being in close proximity to our territory. Some even called for intervention. I want you to know that my sister spoke on your behalf to the nobility and the other Maou. She said you're her friend and that you can be trusted around us. I'm willing to accept her word for it, but I find it strange that she would do so. What is my sister to you anyways? Why are you close with her if you dislike devils? She said you were her boyfriend…why is that?" Sona spoke seriously.

"I didn't even know she was your sister until she barged in after the Rating Game was over. I just met her at the convention like she said and we hung out a few times. I honestly thought she was some otaku weirdo human. I don't know where she got the idea I was her boyfriend though. We only knew each other for a few days. I think she meant it jokingly," Issei trailed off not really sure how to explain this situation in a less embarrassing way.

Sona's face flushed with embarrassment, I see...so you and my sister are just normal friends huh? That's extremely weird, but Serafall Onee-sama isn't like a typical devil so I suppose I could see why you might like her. I find your tolerance of her otaku persona to be a bit unusual, but to each their own I suppose."

"Okay…are we done here then?" Issei asked as everyone went quiet again.

Sona sighed, "I just wanted you to know that we're not going to give you any trouble. My sister insisted on you not being a threat to us. With that being said however, the nobility is gravely concerned with that devil girl you and Tiamat-sama hang out with. Grayfia recently discovered who she was really is…her name is Vali Lucifer."

Issei stared blankly at her, "Yeah, and?"

"She's from the Old Satan Faction…they're not exactly friends with us if you catch my meaning. My family and Rias' family are all concerned about her unwarranted presence here. They find Tiamat-sama's friendship with her equally confusing. I'm just curious…do you actually know why either one of them are here? You said they were recruiting for something, right? I know I asked before, but we seriously need something to tell Sirzechs-sama or the Maou are going to enact and enforce more oversight at Kuoh." Sona explained.

"The recruiting thing was mostly just a cover. They are actually looking for the Red Dragon Emperor. I used to know him and that's why they're still here. From what I understand they have some personal issue with him and they believe I can help them find the Sekiryuutei. I haven't told them anything about it as I don't know where he is anymore…but they're persistent about getting my help," Issei explained.

Rias' eyes shot open as she spoke up, "You knew the Sekiryuutei?"

"Yeah, he trained me," Issei answered with a vague shred of wordplay honesty.

"That would explain a lot…" Rias noted.

The delinquent sighed, "You should probably mention that to your families. Vali and Tiamat are not here to do anything as far as I'm aware. They're just hoping that the Sekiryuutei will show up again in Kuoh."

"That actually makes a lot of sense…hmm. Tiamat-sama is known to have issues with the Heavenly Dragons. She was particularly opposed to the Welsh Dragon Ddraig. Though I can't help but wonder what Vali Lucifer wants with him?" Sona pondered.

"I don't know, but I'm not actually involved in any of that stuff," Issei added seriously.

"Thanks for telling us then, Hyoudou-san. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated," Sona bowed her head respectfully.

In the following pause, Rias addressed Issei again, "You should also know that I don't intend on letting you go unpaid, Issei Hyoudou. For saving my future from a terrible marriage, I owe you big time. I originally offered to give you whatever you want…so tell me what I can offer you?"

"Just tell your brother and the rest of the devil nobles to leave me alone," Issei replied.

Rias frowned, "Really? That's it? I can offer you money too. Surely a-"

"It's all I want," Issei reiterated.

"At least let me get you something…I feel bad about you being forced to help me," She sighed.

The brunette shrugged, "You guys already did me a few favors by resolving some of the political drama and getting my friends enrolled. We'll just call it even okay?"

"Please at least let me do something more substantial for you. I feel guilty about this whole thing," Rias protested.

Sighing heavily Issei shook his head, "Surprise me then. I don't know why you're making this into a big deal."

"Why do you have to be such a tool? Rias is trying her best to repay you. At least acknowledge her efforts," Koneko said annoyed.

Glancing at the white-haired freshman, Issei gave her an annoyed look, "Fine, just miss me with the attitude devil girl."

"Koneko Toujou...I'd prefer you to call me by name, Hyoudou-san," the girl responded sharply.

 _'Toujou? Why does that sound familiar to me?'_ Issei thought for a moment.

 _ **'Vali mentioned it. The Kuroka woman's family name was Toujou,'**_ Ddraig reminded him.

Issei thought about it for a moment, _'Do you think that's a coincidence? Now that I'm looking at her, this Koneko girl does have similar yellow eyes.'_

 _ **'It wouldn't hurt to find out at some point,'** Ddraig noted._

"Alright, Gremory-san. I'll accept whatever you decide to get me then, but I don't really care if you forget." Issei said addressing Rias.

Rias nodded at his remark and actually seemed a bit relieved that Issei was being halfway receptive.

Tsubasa shyly spoke up a moment later, "Hyoudou-san, why did you want those girls transferred to this school? I heard rumors you were dating the blue-haired one…apparently she said she was one of your girlfriends?"

"Don't believe every rumor you hear…especially about me. Those girls are just childhood friends of mine," Issei restated seriously.

Tsubasa's eyes narrowed when she heard 'childhood friends', but she nodded in response with a warm smile, "That's good to know."

"Do they know you're a dragon?" Sona's queen, Tsubaki interrupted.

Issei nodded, "Yeah they do, but I promise they won't be an issue. I'd appreciate if you left them alone."

"Very well…we'll respect your wishes." Tsubaki nodded.

"One more thing before you go, Hyoudou-san…I understand you went to Kyoto last night," Sona said slowly.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I went to a street race."

"Dozens of people have already reported you to the faculty and the local police. We've mind-wiped all the local authorities to keep you out of trouble…though given your blatant willingness to drive your motorcycle here, I doubt you were worried about it anyways. I was mostly concerned about the news of the other racer…Mr. Black. We found out who he was…he's a dragon like you. An evil dragon named Crom Cruach. I don't know what happened out there or what your business was, but you should be careful. I doubt he'll come after you in our territory, but If he finds out you're rogue, he'll probably try to kill you." Sona explained.

"You worried about me?" he couldn't help but scoff.

"That's all we wanted to talk to you about. Take care Issei Hyoudou," Sona dismissed him without answering the question.

Taking his cue to leave, Issei nodded as he walked towards the exit. He stopped before leaving as he glanced back at them, "Later."

"Farewell Hyoudou-san," Sona replied as the delinquent left.

After he left the student council room, Issei took a deep sigh, _'They did all of that for me? I'm kind of surprised. Serafall spoke on my behalf too…well I shouldn't dwell on it. At least this drama will blow over for a bit now. I'm glad these Kuoh devils are finally going to leave me alone.'_

' _ **Good thinking telling them that Tiamat and Vali were looking for the Red Dragon Emperor. I wasn't expecting you to say that, but it seemed like a great tactic to divert them from you and dissolve any political drama around their presence here,'**_ Ddraig commented.

 _'Yeah, it was kind of on the spot, but it seems like a good enough story to tell them. That ought to diffuse the tension for now,'_ Issei noted.

As he walked down the hallway, someone called out to him, "Hyoudou-san!"

Glancing back, he spotted Akeno Himejima of all people. He gave her a curious stare as she approached. Akeno looked somewhat serious as she addressed him, "Can we meet up later and talk about something?"

"Why?" he asked confused.

"It's important," she said vaguely.

"Why didn't you bring it up back there then?" he asked confused.

Akeno looked down for a moment, "It's something I'd prefer to be kept between us."

Issei normally would have dismissed her without a second thought, but he decided to not be an asshole since the devils did him a huge favor today. He was also curious about Akeno's request. He cocked his head at her curiously, "This isn't going to be a waste of my time is it?"

"I promise you it won't be. Come to the town shrine after school at 4:00 P.M. preferably. Meet me there please. I hope you show up," she said softly before leaving.

 _'This can't be good. I wonder what she wants to talk to me about that the rest of them didn't want to tell me?'_ Issei wondered.

 _ **'Are you actually going to meet her?'**_ Ddraig asked curiously.

Issei shrugged, _'I guess I can give her a few minutes. It might be relevant if she wants to keep it a secret from the others.'_

Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided to make his way back to class since lunch was almost over.

 **Later that Afternoon**

The rest of the day proved to be relatively uneventful other than Xenovia's random antics in class. Tiamat and Vali seemed to be in better moods, but they were both clearly troubled about something, and Issei wasn't convinced he was solely the reason either. Considering what they both told him, he had his suspicions that they were both stressed about Khaos Brigade politics. They both said their farewells to him, but didn't seem to be in a talkative mood as they departed immediately after the bell rang.

Issei paid it no mind as he walked towards his bike outside. He noticed a few people gawking at it closely and one girl was even taking a picture of it.

"Hey, back off!" Issei announced catching all of their attention. Everyone that was remotely near his motorcycle scattered as Issei walked up to it and put his jacket on.

"I can't believe nobody called the cops on you for riding this thing to school today…" Irina said disbelievingly as Issei got on.

He chuckled at her comment, "They did, but the devils took care of it."

"Really? That was surprisingly nice of them," Irina said as she got on behind him.

"I thought so too…" he said distantly, "but I don't intend on buddying up with them just because they're halfway civil. They know to leave us alone now, and that's all I care about."

After Xenovia got on, Issei drove back home. Upon reaching it, he handed his bag to Xenovia, "Drop this off inside for me. I have to go meet someone for a little bit. I'll be back."

"Going off to god knows where again huh? You better not end up on the news again Issei," Irina sighed.

"This should only be half an hour at the most. Be back soon," he replied before taking off on his bike towards the shrine in town.

 _'Why the fuck am I even doing this?'_ he thought to himself during the whole ride.

A short drive later, he got to the shrine right around 4:00 P.M. He parked his bike at the bottom of the stairs before making his long ascent to the top. Upon reaching its apex, he saw the shrine building itself.

He looked around curiously as he tried to find Akeno. Eventually, he spotted her sitting on the top step into the building. She was wearing a Miko outfit which seemed odd to him. Although he did recall seeing her battle Yubelluna in one the other day.

"Hyoudou-san, thanks for coming. I wasn't sure you actually would," she began.

"What's this about?" Issei immediately got the conversation on track.

She was silent for a long and somewhat awkward moment as she kept her gaze down. Finally she spoke, "You know that I'm a half-breed right? I was actually half human and half fallen angel before Rias reincarnated me as a devil. I can sort of relate to your situation."

"Life's tough for half-breeds…I imagine you don't have many devil friends if you're half fallen angel," Issei pointed out.

"You're right about that…Rias and her peerage are my only real friends. I know you don't think much of them, but they're not bad people. You'd expect literal devil royalty like Rias to dismiss and hate me for being what I am, but she doesn't. She's honestly a nice person. I'm glad you were able to help her fight that Riser Phenex asshole. She's too good for him," Akeno said with distant sadness in her voice.

Issei sighed, "So are you hoping to change my mind then? Is that what this is about?"

"N-no…nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you about the whole half-breed thing. You mentioned that you liked fallen angels more than devils…why?" Akeno asked curiously.

"They can be obnoxious and self-important, but most of the ones I've met aren't nearly as obsessed with pedigree and titles," he responded.

"Fallen angels are cruel and evil…I would know I'm one too and so is my father," Akeno said with a bit of self-pity and anger.

Issei rolled his eyes at her statement, "How do you figure? The ones around here aren't any more evil than you devils are."

"We don't go after innocents. The fallen angels around here have been working with some church people in this town to do something sinister. They almost abducted a nun with a twilight healing sacred gear not too long ago. Some crazy exorcist was also killing our contracts recently as well. He had an Excalibur, and we found out he was working for the Fallen Angels. They've been hurting a lot of people. That's what they do..." Akeno stated softly.

' _Of course they found out about that…probably because that Freed Sellzen guy told them. I wonder if they would recognize Raynare?'_ Issei pondered mentally.

"You're talking about that exorcist Freed Sellzen right? I killed him the other day, so he's not really a problem anymore," the brunette said nonchalantly.

"R-really?! You…killed him?" Akeno gawked.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I didn't want some serial killer going around Kuoh killing people, so I got rid of him."

Akeno narrowed her gaze, "That's good to know. I was almost concerned for a moment that your human friends were with them. Considering that they're exorcists too and that you claimed to like fallen angels more than devils, I assumed the worst. I'm glad I was wrong. But I must ask...why are you on good terms with fallen angels?"

"That's a bit exaggerated. My interactions with them aren't very different than they are with you devils. I know a few who I don't hate, but I avoid most of them as well. I'm not involved in anything, so you can relax," the delinquent explained.

Akeno nodded understandingly, "Very well. Thanks for clearing this up for me. You're surprisingly nice. It seems I misjudged you."

"You said this was important. I thought this wouldn't be a waste of my time Is there a reason you couldn't mention this at school?" Issei said with annoyance.

"No, that was only my own curiosity. I wanted to ask you that stuff ahead of time in case you got upset and left after what I'm about to tell you," Akeno said slowly.

Issei perked up anxiously, "Alright, tell me then."

"While Grayfia was investigating Vali Lucifer, she found out that she wasn't just a high-class devil half breed. None of the others thought it was a good idea to mention it to another dragon like you, but I thought you deserved to know for your own safety and wellbeing. She's also the White Dragon Emperor. Well Empress I guess," Akeno stated seriously.

Issei's face was aghast with pure shock as he held his mouth agape, "What?!"

"When you told us that Tiamat and Vali were looking for the Red Dragon Emperor, it made perfect sense. It also explains why Tiamat is working with a devil like Vali. They're both rivals of the Red Dragon Emperor from what we know," Akeno elaborated slowly.

Issei could barely contain his disbelief as he shook his head, "You're positive about this?!"

"Grayfia-san confirmed it to Rias and Sona personally. We're not supposed to tell you, so please don't mention it to anyone. I'm doing this as a courtesy to you." she added.

"Why weren't you supposed to tell me?!" Issei demanded angrily.

Akeno timidly took a moment to respond, "The Maou specifically ordered Rias and Sona not to tell you. I don't know why, but I didn't agree with it. You helped Rias a lot, and I wouldn't feel right about keeping something important like that from you after what you did for her."

' _Ddraig…how the fuck did that go unnoticed? How did the devils learn about this before us?! I never even considered that possibility. I thought you could sense Albion. Surely, you'd have noticed at least, right?! How is this possible?'_ Issei demanded.

 _ **'This would mean** **Albion is working for Ophis. That's strange for him,'**_ Ddraig noted, _ **'Perhaps Ophis gave Vali a way to conceal herself and Albion from my detection. That's the only logical explanation I can think of. It could be possible that Albion knows about my recent venture into the Dimensional Gap as well. He could have aligned with Ophis if he believed I was seeking Great Red. As for how the devils learned about this...I'm not sure.**_ **'**

' _Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I was going to have to fight them all eventually whenever they went after Red. This shit is fucked up though,'_ Issei scoffed.

' _ **It's good that this girl told us ahead of time. At least now you won't be caught off guard,'**_ Ddraig said calmly.

Issei scoffed, _'So much for us being friends. Oh well, Vali and Tiamat have been getting on my nerves lately anyways. They'll both be in for a big surprise when I hand their asses to them on a silver platter.'_

' _ **Hahaha! Albion is going to lose his mind when he learns about you having Great Red's power too! Although it might be possible that he has some of Ophis' power now. This will be the best duel we've ever had,'**_ Ddraig said enthusiastically.

' _Way to look on the bright side, partner,'_ Issei chuckled inwardly.

Akeno stared at Issei concerned, "If you still keep in touch with the Seikiryuutei, you might want to give him a heads up to stay away from Kuoh for a while. It would keep any conflicts from starting. If the two heavenly dragons battled here, it would cause a major political incident on all sides. It could even restart a great war. I know you don't want that, and neither do we."

"Thanks for telling me, Himejima-san. Seriously, I appreciate it. You're alright in my eyes, so I'll see you around," Issei waved to the girl as he left immediately afterward.

"You can call me Akeno if you want," she announced as the delinquent departed. He didn't respond to her as he kept going.

' _ **What's the plan now, Issei?'**_ Ddraig asked curiously as Issei returned to his motorcycle.

' _Homework…we'll deal with this shit later,'_ Issei said as he dismissed the drama.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Wow, I haven't touched this story in like a year and a half. Damn, I didn't even realize that much time had gone by. Sorry for the weird hiatus there. I had this chapter like 2 thirds of the way done over a year ago and then stuff just happened and I never got back to fanfiction. I went ahead and made this 14 k words to sort of satiate those of you that have been dying for an update. It was mostly dialogue stuff, but I promise that the action is coming soon! Anyways, I know I got some mixed feedback last chapter, and I just wanted to say I hear where all of you were coming from. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this one a bit more. Issei's not going to be taking shit or hiding himself for much longer. Everything's boiling over soon, so stay tuned if you're looking forward to the violence and rampages.

So in this chapter, Issei gets to _enjoy_ the aftermath of his Rating Game and the race on the same day. He manages to get Irina and Xenovia enrolled, but the devils have already figured out that they're exorcists. Xenovia and Irina also had a joking talk with Issei about being dragons too...perhaps it's not impossible nonsense Irina! That aside, Issei has an interesting conversation with the devils in Kuoh and is surprised to learn that they're going to leave him alone despite what Tiamat told him. Serafall even spoke on his behalf...how will this affect Issei's opinions on the Kuoh devils? While the Gremory and Sitri families might be reasonable, that doesn't mean other devil nobility will be...keep that in mind. Issei himself already thinks it's too good to be true. Who is going to ruin this perfectly reasonable truce between Issei and the Kuoh devils? You'll just have to wait and see.

The biggest highlight of the chapter was of course Akeno's conversation with Issei about Vali. That might have surprised a few of you that they knew about it, but Grayfia has her ways, and of course she told the student council and the ORC. Things are about to heat up considerably now that Issei knows the truth. Akeno's decision to tell him despite being told not to will also drastically improve Issei's opinion on her as well.

As for what's coming up next...the FOUR PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT! That's next chapter just in case you needed something to get hyped up for. Anyways, I'll see you guys again in next year's update if you're still invested. As always, thanks for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Dragon's Bond**

Issei awoke to the sound of a chainsaw going off as his alarm clock's daily girl began to laugh maniacally, "Is that another woman I see in your bed?! I'll kill her! You belong to me! You're mine! All mine! Get out of bed sweetie, I don't want to cover you in this whore's blood!"

Hitting his alarm clock Issei shook his head at it, _'I swear these daily girls keep getting weirder…nothing like waking up to a yandere today.'_

As he got out of bed, Issei yawned and went about his morning routine. The past week since his antics on Monday had been relatively uneventful surprisingly. True to their word, the devils left Issei alone and he was extremely grateful for that. However, ever since learning about Vali's secret from Akeno, he had a hard time feeling any type of ease…especially when he was around her.

His interactions with Vali and Tiamat had become slightly more distant ever since Irina and Xenovia joined Kuoh Academy, but that was honestly a good thing in his eyes. They still maintained decent civility, but it took a lot of willpower for him to go on pretending like nothing was wrong.

He didn't really hold any resentment against Vali for her identity, but Issei knew it would be futile to build any kind of lasting comradery or close friendship with his fellow dragons as the two of them were destined to be enemies in the future. Granted, he already came to that conclusion when he learned that they were eventually going after Red with the Khaos Brigade. This didn't change much in grand scheme other than the fact that Vali would be more difficult to beat now. Part of him wondered what kind of a challenge she and Tiamat would pose if they both possibly had upgrades from Ophis.

For the past few days he had been wondering if it would be possible to talk Vali and Tiamat out of working for Ophis, but he had no idea how that would go or how he could even convince them. Nevertheless, he simply tried to ignore the issue for now as he went about school.

Irina and Xenovia had remarkably meshed in well with his daily school life now. They both rode with him to class every day and were practically always with him. To Issei's great surprise, both girls were academically gifted despite their lack of a regular upbringing. Xenovia seemed particularly good at history, writing, and of course P.E. Hell she was good at almost everything from what he could tell. And yet, despite this she was humble in a detached kind of way. It was something he respected about her. Unlike Irina though, Xenovia hated math and usually had Issei or Irina help her with it.

Irina, despite being somewhat of an airhead, was actually better at math than Issei himself was. He figured the two of them would rank somewhere in the top 5 for the second years. The best part about their company though was now he had people he could do group projects with at school. Gone were the days of awkwardly sitting in silence while the teacher told the class to group up for a project or pick a partner for something. Although, thankfully that hadn't occurred yet up until recently. The cringe-inducing memories of primary school were not something he hoped to repeat in high school.

That aside, he had also gone through the effort of buying Irina's old house for her and Xenovia to live at next door. To his surprise, however, both girls seemed reluctant to want to move in yet. Normally he would have insisted on it, but Issei honestly didn't mind that much. Both girls had been respectful of his conditions and they were good company for humans. That being said, he gave them until his parents came back within the week in order to subvert suspicions and unnecessary questions.

Today was Saturday however, and he had one more day to go before Red's Four Portal Explosion Stunt. Issei sighed to himself as he thought about it, _'It's been an uneventful week…just one more day of school and I get to hang out with Red. Hopefully there's no drama today.'_

After he finished getting ready for school, he made his way to his bike along with Irina and Xenovia.

"So, Issei…where exactly did you say you were going to be tomorrow?" Irina asked him curiously as the three of them got on his motorcycle.

"Out of town for a day. Like I said, Irina…it's a personal thing. I promised a friend I would show up for something he was going to do."

Irina seemed skeptical, "Would it kill you to at least let us know. I'm not going to grief you over it."

"Who is this friend anyways?" Xenovia wondered.

"Is it a girl?!" Irina immediately asked with evident concern in her voice.

Issei shook his head, "No, it's a guy. Relax…alright? Just try not to get involved in any drama today or tomorrow alright? I can't miss it for anything."

"Okay…but what are you guys going to be doing?" Irina pestered.

"It's a stunt thing…" Issei finally decided to give them a shred of information.

Xenovia perked up, "Really? Can we go?"

"Maybe another time…I don't know how my friend would react if I brought you two," Issei responded.

The blue haired exorcist frowned, "Is this friend the Red Dragon Emperor?"

Issei jerked his head back to look at her surprised, "What?! Where did you hear about that?"

"I overheard the devils saying you were friends with the Red Dragon Emperor," Xenovia answered.

The delinquent sighed, "No, he's not the Red Dragon Emperor…but he is a dragon. Enough pestering me about it already. I've told you enough, okay? Please just let me do my thing without any hassle alright?"

"As you say, Issei," Xenovia nodded respectfully.

"Well, we better get to class…you both have your research papers, right?" Irina asked them.

Issei nodded, "Yeah I have mine."

"Me too," Xenovia added.

"Let's go then!" Issei announced as he drove to school

 **Kuoh Academy**

After getting to school and reaching their shoe lockers, Issei was curious to notice that there was a letter in his. He typically didn't use his getabako much as he would magically change his shoes after entering, but he had been using it recently ever since Xenovia and Irina started attending Kuoh Academy.

The delinquent briefly stared at the letter that was in his locker as he sniffed it for any trace of something bad. He could detect no magical traps or anything of the sort on it, but it did have the scent of a devil.

Issei briefly reached in to grab the letter and stared at it for a moment, _'What the hell is this? This has to be a prank or something. Still…it does smell like a devil. Probably best to hide this so nobody thinks it's a love letter or something.'_

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to conceal the letter in time as a nearby girl spotted the pretty looking letter in his hand. The girl immediately started gossiping with her nearby friend about it, "Somebody put a letter in Hyoudou-san's locker."

"What?! No way…do you think it's a love letter?" her friend immediately jumped to conclusions.

Turning his head in their direction, Issei noticed both girls staring at him with curiosity. He immediately scoffed as he put the letter away and started walking to class, _'Fuck…now that rumor is going to spread around school. Which one of these devil assholes wrote me a damn letter?'_

As Irina and Xenovia caught up to Issei, it seemed the rumors had already reached their ears. Irina was quick to ask him about it, "Hey Issei, somebody just mentioned you had a letter in your locker."

"Yeah…" he said with distant disinterest.

The exorcist tilted her head at him curiously, "What did it say? Do you know who it's from or what it's about? Is it a love letter or something?"

"I don't know. I didn't open it yet," he replied bluntly.

"It must be a love letter. I overheard some girls in the bathroom talking about you, Issei. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them liked you," Xenovia mentioned carelessly.

Issei immediately cringed at the audible volume in which Xenovia spoke, because a few nearby girls began to giggle as if confirming that the rumor was true.

' _If God was still alive, I would swear that he hates me,'_ Issei thought with dread.

"Aren't you going to read it, Issei?" Irina asked him curiously.

He shook his head, "No…if it was important, they could have just spoken to me directly."

"Issei! That's so mean. What if whoever wrote it is really shy? It would hurt their feelings if you ignored it," Irina protested.

The dragon gave her a quizzical look, "What would you think if it was a love letter then?"

Irina immediately blushed, "I-I mean if it is, then shouldn't you find out? Y-you know…just to know for sure?"

"Did you write it?" he teased her with a smirk.

"Eh?! No, of course not! I wouldn't do something like that!" Irina immediately went scarlet.

Issei sighed, "Too bad…now I don't have the motivation to open it."

"What!?" Irina almost shrieked.

"I'll read it later I guess, but just so you know, it has a devil's scent on it. I don't think it's wise to read it right now. Whoever planted it might be watching us," Issei got somewhat serious again.

The embarrassed Irina immediately looked concerned, "Really? I guess it's probably a good idea to look at it later then."

"Yeah…" Issei trailed off as the trio reached class.

 **Later that afternoon**

The rumors of the "the letter" had already swept across the school like a blazing wildfire. Issei felt a bit annoyed by all of the curious stares and anxious smirks that people were giving him. Tiamat was absent today thankfully, which allowed for him to miss out on her nosiness, but Vali wasn't. She had been giving him a hard time about it instead.

He was currently sitting on the roof with Irina, Xenovia, and Vali. As they ate their lunches, Issei was distantly staring into the sky, _'I can't wait for the Four Portal Explosion stunt. It's going to be so badass. This day is almost over…'_

"So, are you ever going to read that letter, Issei?" Vali asked him curiously as she moved over and sat directly next to him.

He glanced at the silver haired dragon-devil as he sighed, "Yeah, yeah…I might as well get this crap over with."

Reaching into his bag, he pulled it out as he looked over it for a moment, "It smells like a devil's scent, but I don't know why one of them would write me a letter."

"Really? You didn't mention that to me yet. Do you think it's one of Sitri's people or Gremory's?" Vali wondered.

"Hard to say…I don't know why one of them would write me a letter when they could just walk up and speak to me. They pretty much already do that whenever they have something to say," he pointed out.

"Open it, I want to see what it says," Vali said with anxious amusement.

"Chill out, and give me some space alright? I'm about to," he shot back.

He reluctantly opened the letter up as he began to read it to himself, _"Hello Issei Hyoudou, you're probably wondering why a devil wrote you a letter. Allow me to explain before you throw it away. I've watched you from afar for almost a year now, and I wondered just what kind of person you truly were. I see the way others look to you and I see the way you treat them. You're everything I wish I was…strong, brave, and willing to live free. You inspire people without even trying. I find everything about you admirable. I used to follow you to your favorite spot all the time…and there I would see you transform into the beautiful crimson dragon that you are. I've known for months now that you weren't fully human. You're a half breed like me, and you were able to hide in plain sight like I do now. We're so much alike…dare I say we'd even make good friends. I'd love to meet you, but I'm too shy still. Knowing how you are, I imagine you're probably a bit put off by this. I apologize in advance for causing you grief, Issei Hyoudou…I just wanted to reach out. I would have put this letter at your house, but some other devils were spying on you and I didn't want them to notice me. For now, just know that you have a secret admirer keeping an eye on you. Sincerely, Fountain Girl."_

Issei glanced up at Xenovia, Irina, and Vali as his face expressed a look of concern, "This is weird…"

"What does it say, exactly?" Xenovia wondered as she leaned over on Issei's other side.

He shook his head, "Apparently the girl who wrote this has been stalking me for the past year."

"Let me read it, Issei," Vali asked as she tried to lean in closer.

He immediately handed the letter to her, "What do you make of this, Vali?"

After briefly reading the letter, the silver-haired devil scoffed, "What the hell? You have some crazy half-breed devil stalker? You've never noticed someone following you before?"

"No…that's what makes this so disturbing. I can smell a devil a block away in human form. I have no idea who the hell wrote this or how they've been avoiding my detection. It seems weird she would just out herself too," Issei said slowly.

"Let me read it next!" Irina practically demanded as she snatched the letter out of Vali's hand and began to hungrily read it.

"What's this favorite spot that she was talking about?" Vali wondered.

Issei shook his head, "Just an ocean cliffside that I enjoy flying to on occasion. It's nice and isolated for when I want to train and stuff."

"Hmm…she called herself, _'Fountain Girl'_. Does that ring any bells? Do you go to any fountains ever? Is it supposed to be some lewd reference I'm not aware of?" Vali wondered.

The delinquent sighed, "I don't fucking know. This shit's weird. I figured you'd have a better idea since you know more about the devils around here than I do."

"She said she was a half-breed…that's curious. The only devil half-breed besides me in this town is Gremory's queen. Do you think it's her?" Vali asked.

"Fuck no…Himejima has literally walked up and talked to me twice now. Also Himejima smells like a fallen angel…I'd have noticed her following me." Issei responded.

"You don't think I wrote the letter?" Vali joked with him.

"Don't tell me this is some joke on your part…" Issei growled.

Vali chuckled before shaking her head, "Sadly it's not…though it would be funny if it was. Whoever wrote that letter must be some type of stray or renegade devil. She apparently fled from other devils when she noticed them spying on your house."

"Yeah…that's another problem to deal with. Who the fuck is watching my house? I thought I told Gremory and Sitri to leave me alone," the dragon sighed with a bit anger.

Vali frowned at his comment as she shook her head, "How can you be so sure it's one of theirs?"

"What are you saying?" he tilted his head at her.

The devil shrugged, "I mean you sent a pretty big shockwave through the news in the Underworld recently. It's not out the realms of possibility that someone would take a personal interest in investigating you. From what Tiamat said, you're a bit infamous at the moment for single-handedly dominating a high-class devil and most of his peerage in a Rating Game. Riser Phenex isn't that powerful, but he's not a pushover. Plus he's extremely well known for being one of the stronger young devils. Some of the other young devils or various noble families might see you as a threat. It's possible the devils watching you aren't with the Gremory or Sitri clans."

"Like who? You got names for me?!" Issei asked with a bit of hostility in his voice.

Vali sighed, "Nobody specific, but I wouldn't doubt if that's who was watching you besides _'Fountain Girl.'_ "

After rereading the letter several times, Irina's eyes shot open as she got serious, "So a devil is stalking you and there are other devils watching the house?! Now I don't feel so safe…especially if you can't detect them. I thought you could sense all the devils in your proximity, Issei?"

"I can, but some are capable of hiding in plain sight. I didn't recognize Serafall Leviathan as a devil because she had this weird smelling perfume on her. Plus she was like…this weirdo otaku girl," Issei noted.

Vali crossed her arms and leaned back, "Well, that sucks…I guess you're boned then."

"What do you plan on doing about this stalker or the devils, Issei?" Xenovia wondered.

The delinquent shook his head, "I don't know. I seriously don't care as long as she's not bothering me. The fact that she sent this letter implies that she's not really a threat. Granted these other devils she was talking about might cause trouble if I don't take care of them. I'll think of something soon."

 _'After my day with Red...'_ he mentally noted.

' _ **Do you think Fountain Girl knows about you being the Sekiryuutei, Issei? I mean if she followed you to the spot we go into the Dimensional Gap with…it's not impossible.'**_ Ddraig pointed out.

Issei shook his head, _'I don't know. Ever since Red gave me my new dragon body, I haven't had to use your powers to open the Dimensional Gap. Although there were a few times I put on the scale mail before going in so I could catch up to Red. If Fountain Girl does know, then she's certainly keeping it a secret from everyone else.'_

"Don't get too stressed out about it. I'll look into it, Issei…I'll make sure these devils aren't any of our people. If they are, I'll _kindly_ persuade them to stop," Vali suggested with heavy emphasis over the word kindly.

He looked at her with a bit of approval, "I'd actually appreciate that. It would spare me some drama that I don't need."

A long silence followed as Vali looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't. She eventually managed to speak to her mind after a few moments.

"Quick question for you, Issei…if we were just two regular humans that happened to go to the same high school with none of the supernatural politics going on…would you like me more?" Vali wondered. She seemed a bit skittish asking the question which was completely unlike her.

"Huh?" he deadpanned.

Vali looked away with almost a bit of sadness, "Forget I asked…it was a weird question."

"I already like you a decent amount, Vali. I'd like you a whole lot more if you would give up on that bullshit with Ophis though," Issei replied.

"Yeah…if only it were that simple. I really don't want us to be enemies Issei. From what it sounds like to me, you're friends with a lot of the people that oppose my faction. I get the feeling it's only going to end one way," she noted.

He scoffed at her, "It's as simple or complicated as you want to make it, Vali…just do what you want. That's what I do."

"I kind of wish I had that same option, Issei…some of us are bound to different paths." Vali trailed off. An awkward silence soon followed.

Xenovia glanced over at Vali and broke the silence as she addressed her, "So Vali-san, I have a question I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yeah? What is it?" the silver-haired devil turned her head towards Xenovia. She seemed a bit relieved at the subject being changed.

"How powerful of a devil are you? Surely, you're strong if you have a dragon king on your side," Xenovia noted.

Vali shrugged, "I am probably more than a match for anyone in this town. Only Issei, Tiamat, or one of the Maou could hold their own against me, I'd wager. It'd be close, but I could probably beat Leviathan. I wouldn't stand a chance against Gremory's brother though."

"You're talking about Sirzechs Lucifer right? You think he could beat you that easily?" Issei asked.

The dragon-devil shrugged, "Maybe…my grandfather Rizevim considers him a serious threat if that's any indication. I think he's classified as a Super Devil…which is above Ultimate class devil. For reference, Riser Phenex was only High-class which is a tier below ultimate."

"What devil clan are you from exactly, Vali-san?" Irina wondered.

"It doesn't matter, Shidou, because I'm a half-breed. Devils don't like half breeds." Vali replied.

Issei shook his head, "Just another reason why you're better off going my route…"

Before Vali could respond, the bell rang signaling for them to return to class. She immediately looked up, "Guess we better get back to class."

"Yeah, let's go," Issei nodded.

 **End of the School Day**

"Alright, class, well that's the bell. Good job on your research papers today. Yours was especially great Quarta-san. Before you all leave, I just wanted to remind you about our biannual Parent Teacher day coming up soon. You're welcome to bring along your siblings or whoever else might be your legal guardian if you want. This will count as part of your attendance grade, so I hope to meet all of your parents on Monday night," the teacher announced to the class.

Irina immediately rose her hand, "Sensei, my parents don't live in Japan anymore. What should we do if our legal guardians can't attend?"

"The transfer students will of course not be required to bring their guardians, but they are required to attend," the teacher responded.

Issei sighed, _'Oh I forgot about this crap…mom and dad are still going to be gone for a few more days. Although, I don't know if I want my human parents coming to this school…they could become targets, or the devils might ask them unnecessary questions. Shit, what am I going to do? Well I guess it couldn't hurt my grade that badly.'_

The class soon dispersed as everyone walked down the hallway and made their way towards the stairs. Issei was currently voicing his displeasure to Irina, "My parents are still out of town…so I guess I'm going to take that hit to my grade and skip out."

"That's a shame. I would have liked to meet your parents," Vali remarked with a grin.

' _Fat chance, Vali…you're too damn clever for your own good. Plus, mom would probably start breaking out the baby pictures and shit to embarrass me. Oh god. Yep, I'm totally missing that shit. Although…maybe I can get the pass on bringing my parents if I tell sensei that my parents are out of town,'_ he thought.

Issei was quick to notice his sensei walking past them and quickly got her attention the moment they reached the stairs, "Umm, sensei," he stopped her before she could walk down the main stairs.

She glanced at him curiously, "Hyoudou-san? What is it?"

"So umm…my parents are kind of out of town on vacation in Europe right now. They won't be able to attend the Parent Teacher day," he explained.

"That's unfortunate to hear. I was really looking forward to meeting your parents. I suppose it can't be helped if they're not here, but you should definitely still attend," his teacher explained.

"Sure thing, sensei…my friends are all going anyways," he nodded.

After his teacher was gone, Issei sighed heavily as he and the girls headed towards their motorcycles. Upon getting on, Vali looked over at him, "I'll see you later, Issei. If I find out who those devils are, I'll let you know as soon as possible."

"Take care, Vali," Issei waved before the devil-dragon drove away. Without another word, Issei then drove home with Irina and Xenovia.

 **The next day**

Issei awoke the next day to a sultry voice, "You're so damn sexy when you sleep, but I need to get you _up_ and _off_ now. Oh…it looks like you're already getting _up_ down there. Why don't _come_ here, and we'll start this day off right, hmm?"

The delinquent jerked up defensively for a moment until he realized it was his alarm clock. It continued speaking as he looked at it with blatant disbelief, "I'll make sure you don't suffer through the _long_ , _hard_ day without a _release_ of all that pent of stress. _Come_ now…don't leave me waiting."

"Holy shit…I thought someone was actually in here for a minute. Too bad. Still, why'd I set my alarm on a Sunday?" Issei muttered with a laugh as he turned his alarm clock off. Today's girl was some type of sultry older vixen. Every other word she spoke seemed to imply sexual innuendos which he couldn't help but laugh at. Her voice was somewhat familiar too much to his curiosity.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he was super excited about today. He was finally going to see Red. The dragon of dragons made sure to remind him the night before through a dream to show up for the four-portal explosion stunt. Issei felt an anxious surge of joy as left his room eager for the fun day in store. Even despite the weird situation with devil spies and his stalker, he felt completely confident that he was actually going to make it to the Dimensional Gap today.

Irina and Xenovia were both lounging in the living room as they were watching something on TV by the looks of things. Issei was curious when he noticed it was a movie about knights. They were in some type of great battle that looked like a crusade if he had to guess.

"Stand fast sons of God! Be without fear in the face of our enemies. Carry his light in your hearts and his strength in your arms. We are his holy sword! His retribution and justice! We are his shield to safeguard the realms of men! We are his knights and by our oaths we shall not fail! Deus Vult!" one of the knight commanders was giving a rallying speech to his army.

"DEUS VULT!" the army shouted back in unison.

' _Is this movie about the Crusades or something? Maybe it's some fantasy movie?'_ Issei wondered briefly.

Xenovia and Irina seemed extremely enticed in the action. The blue-haired girl was even holding up her sword in front of the TV as the action commenced.

"Deus Vult!" Xenovia shouted at the TV with enthusiasm. Irina was still seated but she was holding onto her cross as she rocked back and forth with anticipation at the movie.

' _I keep forgetting they're Catholic…I wonder how they would deal with the whole God being dead thing? It's probably best if I never mention that to them. It seems kind of messed up though. Alright, time to get out of here and see Red. Nothing should stop me today,'_ Issei thought to himself.

As if fate had cursed him for even daring to think that, his doorbell rang a moment later. His good mood had instantly been stolen from him in a second. Time almost seemed to slow down as a follow-up ring sounded even louder to him. Irina paused the movie as she and Xenovia refocused their attention on the door. It was only then that they noticed Issei was there.

"Hey Issei, I didn't know you were awake. Are you expecting someone today? Is it your friend?" Irina asked him curiously.

The delinquent shook his head, "Not really…I was actually about to head out."

"So who the heck is that then?" Irina asked.

Before he could answer, the doorbell rang again. Issei sighed as he walked over and answered it. He was already dreading the possibilities of who it could be as he slowly opened the door. On the other side were three individuals. He recognized two of them, but not the third.

' _Raynare? Kalawarner? And who the hell is this blonde chick? Oh no what the fuck are they doing here? I can't deal with this right now…not today!'_ Issei thought with horror as he tried not to cringe at the sight of them.

"Good morning Issei! It's been forever since we've seen you!" Raynare addressed him with warm enthusiasm.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he held his head down, _'Nothing and I mean NOTHING is going to stop me from hanging out with Red today.'_

"What are you girls doing here?" Issei asked them slowly.

"Nice seeing you again, Issei. Sorry we haven't been visiting lately. We wanted to come by and see you as well as talk for a bit. Can we come inside?" Kalawarner waved with a sultry smile.

Issei stared at her briefly, _'Man, she sounds exactly like my alarm clock did this morning. I wonder if she's a voice actor on the side?'_

His mental musings were misinterpreted by the other girls as they found his excessive staring at Kalawarner to be a bit lustful. The fallen angel herself gave him a slight blush, "What? Why are you staring at me?"

"No reason," he said with a shrug as he glanced at the other two.

Raynare quickly tried to get his attention, "Jeez Issei, I know Kala's sexy, but have some shame, will you? Anyways, I brought you breakfast again! Can we come in?"

"You did? Sure I guess, come in," he said as he invited Raynare, Kalawarner, and the unknown blonde girl with them inside.

Xenovia and Irina both seemed surprised by their arrival but maintained their cool as they sat down on the couch. Both immediately got serious as they expected this visit was business related. Issei sat between Irina and Xenovia on the couch as he gestured for the three fallen angels to sit on the other one.

"I even made some for your human friends, Issei," Raynare tried to be civil as she placed a bunch of food down on the coffee table.

"Thanks Raynare, but what are you guys doing here, and who the hell is blondie in the Lolita getup?" Issei asked as he pointed at the blonde fallen angel with them.

"Maybe you should ask me yourself instead of talking about me like that," the blonde piped up.

He glanced at her curiously, "I'm guessing you're one of the few with their group?"

The blonde fallen angel nodded, "Bingo…the name's Mittelt."

"What's with the Gothic Lolita dress?" he couldn't help but ask.

She grimaced at him annoyed, "What's wrong with it?!"

"Nothing at all…I think it's a cute outfit for a cute girl. It's just strange to wear cosplays for no reason," he chuckled.

She scoffed at him, "What, are you eyeing me up now?!"

"You wish…if I was actually eyeing you up, then you'd know it." Issei laughed at her.

"Pfft…yeah right!" Mittelt said with smug confidence.

Her remark was met with an intense stare from Issei a moment later. An awkward silence followed for the next minute as the blonde got extremely uncomfortable. She couldn't help but look away from his gaze with a flushed face, "Stop doing that! It's weird!"

Issei then got right in front of her and stared at her even more intensely. Mittelt practically melted beneath his gaze as she sunk lower on the couch.

After finally proving his point, Issei glanced at Raynare, "So, why did you bring her along?"

Raynare sighed, "Well Kala and I were coming to see you, and Mittelt and Dohnaseek expressed interest in meeting you too. Dohnaseek had business to deal with though, so we only brought along Mittelt."

"I did not want to come here to meet him! I just wanted to see this dragon you two have been gushing about nonstop!" the blonde immediately protested.

Issei ignored the blonde's embarrassed defense as he began to eat the food Raynare made for him. The black-haired girl was smiling happily at the sight of him eating.

"Sorry about last time again, Issei. Kala and I stayed to clean up your house after you left," Raynare explained.

"I noticed that. Thanks for being courteous. So, what are you three doing here today? I hope it's just for a friendly visit," the delinquent asked.

"Well Raynare and I haven't heard from you in a while ever since you went off to take care of that Freed Sellzen guy. We found out you killed him pretty brutally…dragonfire apparently. Kokabiel has been especially concerned about it and with you. He considers you a threat…especially because he's under the assumption that you're in league with the devils," Kalawarner began.

The delinquent sighed heavily, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Issei crushed that rogue exorcist's Excalibur with his bare hand. Even a high-ranking fallen angel like Kokabiel should fear Issei." Xenovia was quick to add.

' _I appreciate the hype Xenovia, but I really don't need that kind of attention right now,'_ Issei sighed mentally.

Mittelt looked a bit confused, "He crushed an Excalibur barehanded?! He can do that? How strong is this guy anyways?"

"Very powerful…Issei has all the devils terrified of him too from what we've heard and seen." Kalawarner said seriously.

"Yeah…we also heard you fought some devils in a Rating Game for the Gremory bitch, Issei. Why'd you fight for her? Better yet, how did they convince you to take part in it?" Raynare couldn't help but ask.

The dragon sighed, "I had to get Xenovia and Irina enrolled in school and they sort of forced me to do it in exchange. Granted, it wasn't a big deal since the guy I fought was the biggest piece of shit devil I've ever met. It didn't take that much time out of my day, so it's whatever I guess."

"We heard about it from some of our Underworld sources…she said you easily brutalized Riser Phenex and his entire devil peerage by yourself. I knew you were powerful, but that's something else for a half-dragon. I haven't seen the footage of it, but I imagine it's crazy," Kalawarner added.

Raynare soured her face for a moment, "Did those devil sluts try to force you into their slave groups?"

Issei shrugged, "They offered, but I made it pretty clear that I don't serve people. They've agreed to leave me alone now, so we're cool for the time being."

"You can't trust devils, Issei…they're always looking to deceive and manipulate. This is how devils operate. They lull you into a false sense of security and make you think they're trustworthy. They might even give you what you want…but when you least expect it, they take your freedom, your life, or even your soul," Raynare ranted.

The brunette rolled his eyes at her, "Aren't you being a little overdramatic there? Spare me the speech, Raynare. You're in no place to be preaching from a moral high ground. I'm sure your kind are capable of doing the same thing. If I recall correctly, you said were going to try and deceive me initially until you learned I was powerful."

"But I didn't…I was honest with you," Raynare pointed out.

"And that's the only reason I didn't let Gremory kill you. Under different circumstances, who knows how things would have turned out. Look, Raynare, just because I'm being civil with the devils in Kuoh doesn't mean I trust them. I find it's best to let people think they have the upper hand," he replied.

Raynare frowned, but nodded, "I see, well just know that we'll gladly have your back if the devils try anything."

"There was something else, Issei…remember how we mentioned Lord Azazel wanted to meet you? Well he was hoping you could meet him today. He didn't want to interfere with your school life and figured your day off would be a good time to ask," Kalawarner changed the subject.

' _Fucking miss me with this crap! God damn it…why does this always happen when I'm trying to go see Red?! I don't fucking care about this bullshit. The guy wants to meet me today?! Ughhh…'_ Issei groaned mentally.

"How long would it take? I kind of had plans today…" Issei trailed off with noticeable uneasiness.

"Not long, Issei. Just a few minutes would suffice. Lord Azazel was hoping you'd come to meet him, but if you're busy, we can just summon him here," Kalawarner suggested.

' _Oh no…I'm not letting another super angel into my damn house. The feathers would get everywhere!'_ Issei thought horrified.

"I'll just go meet him then…but this better be brief. I seriously have stuff to do today," Issei sighed.

"What exactly did you have to do, Issei?" Raynare asked curiously.

He was silent for a moment before answering, "It's a personal thing…something I'd rather not bring up to the rest of you."

"O-oh…" Raynare trailed off.

"I guess we should just stay here today then?" Irina asked Issei.

The dragon nodded, "Yeah, stay here you two and try not to get into any trouble. I'll be back later tonight."

"Be careful, Issei…" Irina said softly. He could tell she wanted to mention the dangers of meeting the Fallen Angel leader, but she was wise enough to keep that to herself.

"So, where's your leader at exactly?" Issei sighed.

Kalawarner, Mittelt, and Raynare all surrounded him as they channeled a bit of magic. Raynare was quick to answer him a moment later, "We'll teleport you there. It's just an apartment on the other side of Kuoh."

"Okay…" Issei said half-heartedly as he allowed them to teleport him away. A moment later, the three fallen angels and the dragon all disappeared from his living room.

Irina shook her head, "I don't like this…how can we trust that they won't try to do anything to him once he gets there?"

"Issei will be okay. I can understand worrying for his safety, but he didn't have single shred of fear or concern about it. Even if it's trouble, he could probably handle it," Xenovia noted.

"You really think so, Xenovia? I mean he's meeting the leader of the Fallen Angels right now!" Irina protested.

Xenovia shrugged, "Well he does have Gabriel-sama's blessing if nothing else. God will watch over him,"

"You're right! We should pray for his safety," Irina added.

"I just thought of something, Irina…that letter said devils were spying on Issei's house. Do you think they noticed these fallen angels show up just now?" Xenovia wondered.

Irina's eyes widened, "That might be a problem…"

 **Azazel's Apartment**

Upon teleporting to their destination, Issei looked around curiously at the nice-looking apartment. Kalawarner was quick to announce their arrival, "Lord Azazel, we brought Issei Hyoudou to meet you."

Issei kept his composure blank as he spotted a man with two tone hair. It was mostly black, but he had golden bangs and a dark goatee to go along with it. He had violet eyes as well.

The fallen angel had none of his wings out at the moment and was wearing comfortable looking clothes oddly enough.

"Nice to finally meet you, Issei Hyoudou. I've heard a great deal about you from Raynare and Kalawarner. They seem very fond of you. Trust me when I say that it speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. Fallen angels typically don't like other beings besides our own kind," the man began.

"Look man, don't talk to me like I'm some impressionable, insecure kid. The only reason I'm here is so I can tell you this in person: I don't care about your angel/devil war. I don't care about your politics, your drama, or your god damn opinions about me. I just want to finish high school without any more drama. No, I am not interested in working for you or with you. No, I don't care about what the devils are planning. And to finish it off, I have nothing against your kind, so I'd appreciate if you left me alone," Issei immediately cut him off.

"I-Issei, d-did you really just say that?!" Raynare gasped at his bold attitude.

"Apologies, Lord Azazel…but as I told you before, Issei is a bit blunt," Kalawarner chimed in with a bit of concern.

"How dare you speak to Azazel-sama that way!" Mittelt piped up aggressively.

"Relax, you three, it's alright," the fallen angel leader said with a suave calmness.

Azazel then chuckled briefly at Issei's bluntness before addressing him again, "I wasn't expecting that response, but okay. I have no issues with your terms, Issei Hyoudou, but I do think it's important that I explain a few things to you in person. First of all, Kokabiel is plotting to attack the Kuoh devils. As I'm sure you know, that would ignite a war…a war that I don't want to restart."

"So rein the guy in then? If you're the leader, why aren't you handling this situation?" Issei asked.

The fallen angel leader sighed, "It's not that simple, unfortunately. As you likely know by now, Kokabiel is one of the more powerful fallen angel leaders. I could stop him, but it would take extreme force, and that would undoubtedly upset the other great powers. While Sirzechs Lucifer might understand my intention, many of his followers likely wouldn't. They would seize the opportunity to vilify us if they could. Kokabiel also has additional fail safes set up to prevent my direct intervention in stopping him. I'll spare you the details, but needless to say, I can't directly intervene because of them. That leaves me in a bind. I don't want the same thing he wants. I don't want a war with the devils, and I don't want a war with heaven. From what I've learned about you, Issei-san, is that you believe in peace as well. If you truly wish to maintain the peace in Kuoh, then you might have to get involved in stopping Kokabiel. If you don't, then someone else might…and there's no guarantees what kind of strife that would cause. I'm not asking for your help out of some vain reason to subject you to my authority…I'm asking for your help, because you're the only person strong enough to handle this that I really trust to do it. Considering your neutrality as well, it likely wouldn't cause a major incident."

As much as Issei detested the idea of being asked for help, he actually couldn't deny Azazel's intentions. The fallen angel leader wasn't asking him to join forces with him or kill devils…he was explaining to Issei that he couldn't deal with Kokabiel himself. That meant if left unchecked, Kokabiel could easily restart the Great War.

' _This guy seems somewhat legit in his reasoning here. Though I still find it strange the supreme leader of the fallen angels doesn't want war…'_ Issei thought curiously.

"What makes you think I can do anything about him? He's a Cadre, right? I'm just a half-dragon…" Issei trailed off.

"The only way I could believe you're a half-dragon is if your dragon parent was a legendary dragon. The power you displayed against Riser Phenex was tiers above anything I've seen of even high-class dragons. It might even come close to the Dragon Kings to be honest. I find that remarkable about you…especially considering your lack of interest in power. From what I could tell about you in your Rating Game, you weren't even going all out either. Which leads me to assume you're possibly even more powerful. Perhaps a new classification of dragon entirely." Azazel pointed out.

Issei scoffed, "Like what?"

"I'm not sure to be honest. I would say somewhere between a high-class dragon and a dragon king. Perhaps more, but I haven't really seen your full power to make that assumption just yet," Azazel noted.

"So you're asking me to kill this Kokabiel guy for you then?" Issei immediately changed the subject.

"Preferably, I don't want him killed…we fallen angels are the least populous of the three major factions. We can't really afford to throw away lives over nothing. Kokabiel would be brought back to our headquarters where we'd keep him under control," Azazel explained.

The delinquent rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I guess I can do something about it…but only because I don't want the extra drama of some stupid war breaking out here. Just don't make a habit of calling me in for favors. I'm not your little lackey alright? I'm doing this as a favor and because my friends also were involved in it. That's it..."

"Of course, Issei Hyoudou. I greatly appreciate your willingness to help in this matter," he nodded approvingly.

"So wait, he actually did beat a high-class devil's entire peerage by himself? I thought you were just exaggerating, Raynare!" Mittelt said disbelievingly.

"Hey, that's just what we heard. Azazel-sama and Penemue-sama both confirmed it was true," Raynare countered.

"It's not an exaggeration…Penemue was the one who showed the video to me initially. I don't think any of you have actually seen it yet, right?" Azazel interrupted.

"We heard about it, but we didn't actually get to watch it," Kalawarner explained briefly.

"Well, you're all in for a treat. I just so happen to have it recorded," Azazel laughed.

Issei looked on curiously as Azazel held up a remote and turned on his TV. After a moment of searching and scrolling, he landed on the channel.

Azazel chuckled as he shook his head, "Alright here we go…you'll love this."

Over the next few minutes, the fallen angel girls all gawked and gasped at Issei's effortless success against Riser's peerage. Raynare couldn't help but voice her displeasure at the part involving Xuelan, but Issei paid it no mind as he watched himself on the TV.

' _God, this is so awkward watching myself on TV…my hair looked bad that day.'_ Issei cringed at the sight of himself.

Upon seeing the scene of Issei's apocolpytic red flames almost destroying the Rating Game battlefield, all three fallen angel girls let out shocked noises. Mittelt and Raynare both yelped and Kalawarner almost shrieked at the sight of Issei brutally bashing Riser into submission.

"Damn…I can see why the devils are bending over backwards for you now," Raynare said slowly after the video was over.

"Were you even trying, Issei?" Kalawarner asked him seriously.

He rolled his eyes, "I don't have time for this right now. I got somewhere to be today."

"Very well, Issei Hyoudou, but before you go, I had one more thing I wanted to ask you," Azazel said slowly as he held up a strange looking spear in his hand.

The delinquent kept a poised look on his face, "What?"

"What do you know about sacred gears?" Azazel asked.

Issei shook his head, "The basics about how they work…why?"

A moment later, the spear flashed briefly and Azazel's arm had a golden sheathed gauntlet cover it. He held it up as he spoke, "The Dragon King Fafnir is in my sacred gear."

The delinquent couldn't help but give the man a sour look, "Is there a reason you're showing this to me? Tell me that's not a threat?!"

A voice came out of Azazel's arm a second later, _**"He means no threat by it, fellow dragon-kin. Azazel wanted me to speak with you before you left. As he said, I am the Dragon King Fafnir. I can completely understand your mistrust of devils and angels, but I speak as a fellow dragon when I say that you can trust Azazel."**_

"You're speaking awfully fond of the guy who sealed you into a sacred gear…" Issei pointed out.

" _ **I allowed it to happen in order to help Azazel with his sacred gear research. He can release me whenever I wish. Take his words to heart and know that he means you no ill will,"**_ Fafnir explained.

Issei looked at Azazel and sighed, "Alright fine…you made your point. Are we done here then?"

"Yes, that's all for now. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to speak with me. Take care Issei Hyoudou. It was nice meeting you," Azazel waved as he began to leave the room.

As he departed, Issei looked over at the other three fallen angels. All of them had various expressions of curiosity and interest.

"So…you're going to take out Kokabiel then?" Raynare asked for confirmation.

Issei sighed, "Yeah…I guess I am. How do I always get involved in this crap?"

"I can't believe how easily you beat that Riser Phenex guy…" Mittelt said with a bit of amazement.

"Unbound dragons are extremely powerful…that's why most of them are sealed away into sacred gears. I wasn't aware Lord Azazel had one of the dragon kings in his sacred gear though…" Kalawarner remarked.

Issei shook his head, "I'll catch up you girls some other time. I really need to get going."

"Alright…see you soon hopefully," Raynare waved as Issei immediately found his way to the exit and left.

 **Kuoh City Outskirts**

As Issei walked down the street for a few minutes he shook his head in annoyance, _'That was weird…but at least he kept it brief. What you think about Fafnir's situation, Ddraig?'_

' _ **Fafnir was probably the strongest of the dragon kings if you ask me. Well it was always close between him and Tiamat. He's a bit odd, but he's never been one to exaggerate truths or make up nonsense. I don't know why he'd throw his lot in with fallen angels, but then again, Tannin and Tiamat are sworn to the devils. Last I heard, Fafnir was slain by some human named Siegfried. Supposedly the Norse Gods resurrected Fafnir, but I haven't been keeping up to date with all that ever since I got sealed myself,'**_ Ddraig responded.

' _None of your previous hosts knew about this? Have any of them met this Azazel guy before?'_ Issei wondered.

Ddraig scoffed, _**"Yeah I think a few of them did. I barely remember anything about him other than the fact that he was fascinated by dragons and sacred gears. He never really left a lasting impression, so I wouldn't expect him to be deceitful…otherwise I'd remember it."**_

' _Well at least we know that Azazel guy isn't some lying asshole then,_ ' Issei noted.

As he continued walking, Issei noticed a glow appear on the ground around him. It was in the shape of a devil sigil. He heard a voice coming through it as his body resisted the summoning circle's attempt to summon him, "Would you accept the summon, Issei Hyoudou? I would very much like to meet you today. I promise this won't take up too much of your time."

"No, I'm busy," Issei rejected the summon as he immediately spread his dragon wings and began to fly away from Kuoh.

As he flew to his 'favorite spot' on the ocean cliffside, he couldn't help but wonder about how or where his stalker would have seen his entry from.

 _'This Fountain Girl has me all paranoid now. Maybe I should look around for a minute before going into the Dimensional Gap…'_ Issei thought as he landed on the ocean cliffside.

He looked around curiously as he tried to detect any abnormal scent, presence, or anything of the like. There wasn't a single trace of anyone around. Slowly he stood over the cliff edge as a scaly talon covered one of his fingers. Without wasting any time, he opened a portal into the Dimensional Gap and swiftly closed it upon entering.

 **Dimensional Gap**

Upon entering the dimensional gap, Issei began to cackle maniacally at his success, "AHAHAHA! Finally! It feels good to be back! Let's go Ddraig!"

" _ **Sure thing, partner!"**_ Ddraig replied with joy in his voice.

A moment later, four dragon wings erupted from Issei's back as his draconic features took shape. He then held up his arm causing his balance breaker to manifest over his draconic body. The armor covered his four wings and gave them an added size with glowing red and green energy shaping out of them.

He bellowed loudly as he locked onto Red's life force, "Let's fucking go!"

" _ **BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!"**_ Ddraig announced as Issei began to glow in green and red.

A split second later, he shot at impossible speed towards Great Red's location. At the insane speed he was flying, it only took him a few minutes to catch up to the Great Red dragon of dragons who was currently performing wild aerial stunts.

"RED! I fucking made it!" Issei announced excitedly as he caught up to the massive dragon.

Turning his head towards Issei, Red let out a proud cheer, **"That's what I'm talking about! You're just in time, Issei! I was warming up my wings for the FOUR PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT!"**

"Hell fucking yeah! So how did you do the three portal one last time?!" Issei asked enthusiastically.

 **"Listen here, Issei. Let me show you. I'm going to finish my warmups by doing a one and a two-portal explosion. THEN we'll do a three portal one! Once I'm fully powered up, we're going max speed and I'm going to tear through FOUR! Alright, strap onto the back of my head, and get ready!"** Red bellowed with eager pride and excitement.

Without wasting a second, Issei latched onto the back of Red's head as the colossal Red dragon began to fly in a loop of some kind.

 **"First thing's first…we gotta open the portal!"** Red exclaimed as he flew in a figure eight pattern that caused a Red infinity symbol to take shape.

Red then flew away from the portal as fast as possible gaining a tremendous distance from the opening portal. Even despite the unfathomable distance he gained from it, the portal still looked like it hadn't gotten any smaller. This indicated that it was insanely large.

 **"Alright, this is far enough for a single portal one! Gotta warm the wings up first!"** Red announced as he turned around and shot towards it. As they gained speed and momentum, Issei saw the twisted and bizarre chaos that made up the Dimensional Gap warp around them. Upon hitting the portal, a deafening supernova of raw chaotic energy exploded violently. As Red and Issei flew into a new dimension that the portal led to, the entire dimension instantly began to tear apart as Red shot through it like a cataclysmic missile tearing through time and space. After the dimension was destroyed, Issei found them back in the Dimensional Gap once again.

 **"Time for two now!"** Red shouted as he performed a similar set up.

As expected of Red's stunts, each portal that was added to this setup would exponentially increase rather than simply multiply by portal number in power. The following two and three portal explosions were both tremendously exhilarating and cataclysmically fun.

" **VROOOOOOSH! YEAH!"** Red roared as he finished flying through the third portal on the Three portal warmup. Despite their speed however, they quickly got caught in a aftermath of the triple explosive wave which almost caused Red to wipe out.

"Shit, Red, you almost didn't make it through that one! How are you going to get enough speed to break four dimensional portals?!" Issei pointed out as Red caught his breath for a moment.

The proud dragon of dragons immediately laughed at Issei's remark, **"I have a new secret ability that I've been saving just for this!"**

"New secret ability?! What?!" Issei gawked.

Red laughed as he began to set up the four-portal explosion stunt, **"I've outdone myself with this one, Issei! I haven't even tested it out yet, but I know it's going to work! I'm glad you get to be here for it!"**

Issei felt his adrenaline skyrocket as Red flew eight times further away from the new portal set up than the last one. Once he was content with the distance, Red turned around and took a few deep breaths, **"Hold on as tight as you can for this shit, Issei! This is going to break my speed records!"**

Issei dug into Red even tighter now as the massive dragon stretched his body out as aerodynamically as he could. He then began to fly as fast as possible shooting energy out of his legs and wings behind him. As they closed in on the open portal in the distance, Red shouted as loudly as possible, **"APOCALYPSE OVERDRIVE!"**

To Issei's complete astonishment, armor began to manifest over Red's body similar to his scale mail. Time and space dilated as Issei's sight went into complete tunnel vision. He could only see the blurs of chaotic color and hear the sound of Red's apocalypse overdrive screaming through the dimensional gap like a jet engine. Red was now moving twice as fast as before.

The great dragon roared as loudly as possible as they finally hit the portal, **"FOUR PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT! ARRRRRRGHHHH!"**

The following moments of pure adrenaline and apocalyptic power were probably the most euphoric Issei had ever experienced. One by one, they flew through all four dimensional portals destroying all four dimensions at once and causing an echo to surge throughout the Dimensional Gap like some type of tidal wave of apocalyptic energy.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! FUCKING AWESOME ANIKI!" Issei roared with excitement at Red's successful stunt.

" **DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT?! DID YOU SEE IT?!"** Red shot back with fiery enthusiasm.

"Hell yeah I did!" Issei shouted back.

Red began to laugh with hearty joy, **"APOCALYPSE OVERDRIVE was only the start, Issei!"**

"WHAT?!" he responded shocked.

" **We're going for FIVE NOW!"** Red bellowed with pure adrenaline and excitement.

"HOW?!" Issei shouted disbelievingly as Red set up another round of dimensional portals.

His question was immediately answered as Great Red shot incredibly far away from the portals. He turned back around and faced the portals again. He immediately flew towards them gaining even more speed than before, **"I'M THE FASTEST BADASS IN THE UNIVERSE! APOCALYPSE JUGGERNAUT OVERDRIVE!"**

Issei could barely believe it as he saw Red's armor transform into an even more badass version than the previous one. He practically seemed to absorb all of the chaotic power in the Dimensional Gap that they passed as his armor became sleeker and glowed with even more energy. He flew like blazing star through the dimensional gap roaring the whole way.

 **"ARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH! FIVE PORTAL EXPLOSION STUNT!"** Red roared as they flew through once again causing endless shockwaves of calamitous energy to explode in all directions within the Dimensional Gap. The apocalyptic aftermath of this stunt was truly a sight to behold as Red and Issei rode out of the fifth portal's explosion like surfers riding a tsunami.

Once the stunt was finally over and their adrenaline had settled, Red's armor began to disappear as he started panting, **"Damn…that was fucking awesome!"**

"I can't believe you did 5! I was impressed by the fourth one! When did you get this Apocalypse Overdrive ability, Red?!" Issei asked amazed.

 **"Heh…I learned it while you were away. I figured I could fly more aerodynamically if I modeled my own armor after your balance breaker. Plus I put energy dispensers on the wings and feet of my apocalypse overdrive so that I could channel all of my power into moving faster. Tell me you saw the shades too. They're badass aren't they?"** Red chuckled proudly.

"Hell yeah they are! Damn, I've missed hanging out with you, Red…" Issei said with a chuckle.

Red let out a grunt of approval, **"Damn straight you did. This is what being a dragon is all about. By the way, you've been awfully quiet, Ddraig. How you holding up?"**

" _ **Better than expected after that last stunt. I'm amazed by your Apocalypse Overdrive,"**_ Ddraig remarked.

" **Hmph, yep…I can make cool stuff like that when I have the proper motivation,"** he replied.

"Hey, Red, I have a question for you," Issei said slowly.

The large dragon responded gruffly, **"What?"**

"Did you ever know God? I mean we've talked about it a few times, but I have some friends that worship him. It just had me curious about what he was like," Issei asked.

Great Red laughed, **"Oh I knew him a bit. We didn't get along too well though."**

"Why's that?" Issei wondered.

" **He was a square obsessed with order and rules and all that crap. God didn't like dragons very much because we're beings of chaos. We're the antithesis to what he stood for. Still, he and I did come to an understanding at some point a couple thousand years ago. He promised he would never bother me if I didn't destroy Heaven or the Earth. After that we were cool for the most part,"** Red explained.

"How did he die exactly? I never really asked," Issei followed up with another question.

Red grunted, **"Ddraig hasn't told you? That's funny considering he and Albion are the ones that killed God."**

 ** _"We didn't directly kill him...but we were responsible for his death,"_ **Ddraig clarified.

"Really, I thought you and Albion fought him and lost? Then how did you two get sealed?" Issei asked Ddraig.

Ddraig sighed, _**"Well, I've only told you the short version of this story. When Albion and I were fighting each other in a great and epic duel many centuries ago, the angels, devils, and fallen angels all got scared of our power and joined forces to fight us. As I explained previously, we killed all the old Maou, the fallen angel leaders, and a few archangels. We were unstoppable when we worked together and there was nothing any of them could do about it. That was until God himself sacrificed his life to seal Albion and I away into Longinus sacred gears because he couldn't beat the two of us together. Granted, I don't think we really faced his full power. He seemed a bit weak when we fought him.'**_

"You guys must have been complete badasses back in your regular bodies," Issei noted.

 **"T** **hat just goes to show how much more powerful dragons are than gods. Although Ddraig and Albion are rather unique, Issei. Both of them realized the same thing Ophis and I did a long time ago…that there is no limit to a dragon's power. A creature born of chaos is not bound to any laws of nature or godly templates. They are manifestations of will and universal energy that grow as strong as their purpose is. I am the Dreamer. Ophis is the Infinite. Ddraig is the Dragon of Domination, and Albion is the Dragon of Supremacy. Had Ddraig and Albion been able to continue growing over the millennia, they would have eventually become dragon gods themselves. Granted they would never reach Ophis' power or mine."** Red noted.

"Dragons really can do anything," Issei chuckled.

" **Damn straight!"** Red said proudly.

"This is so awesome! I'm glad we got the whole day to hang out and do fun stuff. What time is it in Japan right now, anyways? It's probably good to keep track of that so I don't spend a week in here by accident." Issei wondered.

Red sighed dramatically, **"Oh…it's 3 A.M. I guess you have to go back to Earth now."**

"WHAT?! It's 3 A.M. already?! It only feels like it's been an hour!" Issei protested.

" **Time flies when you're having fun,"** Red noted.

"Damn…well, I guess I'll see you next time Red. Still, that was the most badass shit I've ever done. Today was awesome!" Issei remarked.

Before Issei could fly away, Red laughed, **"Oh, by the way Issei…I think I'm going to attend your parent teacher day."**

"What?!" the delinquent gawked in disbelief.

" **See you there,** _ **'son'**_ **."** Red laughed before taking off.

 **Kuoh Outskirts, Cliffside**

Issei receded his balance breaker and two of his four wings before passing through the portal back onto Earth. He let out a chuckle to himself, _'Red's seriously going to show up to my parent teacher day?! That ought to be hilarious.'_

' _ **Great Red's new armor was amazing. It just goes to show why he's the dragon of dragons,'**_ Ddraig remarked as Issei began to fly back towards Kuoh.

 _'Hopefully the girls are doing alright. I didn't mean to stay out this long,'_ Issei thought as he stealthily landed in his front yard and receded his wings.

 _ **'I believe there might have been slight time dilation from the speeds we were going. We're lucky it wasn't drastic. What was only an hour to us might have been half a day here,'**_ Ddraig noted.

 _'Hmm...good point. That would definitely explain where the time went. I'll have to keep that in mind next time. Pun intended,'_ Issei said with a quiet laugh.

His good mood went away immediately upon walking up to his house. He noticed that something was wrong but couldn't quite describe the ominous feeling he got as he walked through the front door. His instincts had him on edge the second he realized Xenovia and Irina weren't there to greet him.

"Xenovia, Irina? Where are you girls?" he called out as he looked around his empty and dark house.

His heart sunk in his chest a second later when he saw something on the coffee table…it was a note. Issei angrily picked it up as he read the message on it: _"The holy maidens belong to me now, dragon trash. They're going to make great additions to my collection. I'll ravage their pure bodies as I see fit and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Don't even bother trying to come after me, or I'll out you as a fallen angel spy to the entirety of the devil nobility. Although, I doubt a stupid creature like you could even find me to begin with hahaha!"_

Issei cracked a fist as he began to breathe heavily. The letter caught on fire in his grip a moment later as he clenched his fists tighter.

 _ **"I guess the devils spying on you were trouble after all. I'm shocked they had the nerve to abduct your friends,"**_ Ddraig remarked seriously.

"We're going back to the dimensional gap right now, Ddraig! Red's going to locate this asshole for me and I'm going to tear his god damn balls off with my bare hands! He's dead for this! I'M GOING TO MURDER THIS MOTHER FUCKER!" Issei growled.

Without wasting any time, he charged back out of his house and flew into the night. He let out a draconic roar as he picked up speed. Somebody was going to die for this.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright, so I updated before a year! This is the first time I've updated in under 2 weeks since I started fanfiction...I worked tirelessly in my free time to put this out for you guys. I really appreciate all the loving support and feedback from last chapter and I wanted to reward you guys with another chapter. I was just joking about the yearly update thing since I went a year and half without touching this story up until recently. I still feel bad about it and that's why you guys get this quick update from me…reparations and all that good stuff. I can't promise to consistently update quickly, but I'm going to make an effort to do it more often. (Maybe like once every 2 months realistically). On the downside this is a pretty short chapter...it's only 12 k words.

Anyways, some serious shit went down this chapter! We'll go over it like we always do. To start, Issei gets a mysterious letter from some half-breed devil girl. Why does she call herself 'Fountain Girl' and who could she be? We also learn from her letter that devils have been scoping out Issei's house. Vali promises to look into it, but Issei doesn't take it as seriously as he should have. He certainly paid for that negligence as Xenovia and Irina were both kidnapped while he was away. I'm sure it's pretty obvious who took them…and he's screwed next chapter when Issei shows up. How will this affect the political situation if Issei kills said devil? Drama!

Other than that, we had some interesting interactions that you should pay attention to in this chapter. Issei got the idea to try and talk Vali out of working for Ophis, and we see Vali express a bit of concern over how much Issei likes (or dislikes) her. Issei also got to meet Azazel this chapter along with Mittelt. The fallen angels straight up ask Issei to deal with Kokabiel and he begrudgingly agrees to Azazel's request. That whole fiasco is coming up soon as well. So prepare thine self.

A big point of interest in the chapter however was Issei and Red's fun that they had together. We learn that Red has a power called Apocalypse Overdrive and its his custom version of armor to fly faster. He even manages FIVE portals instead of four! It's a shame Issei couldn't just have one happy day. Now someone is going to suffer a horrible death for messing with his friends.

Anyways, as always, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the wild action next chapter because the plot just kicked into apocalypse overdrive!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Retribution**

Flying as fast as possible, Issei tore through the skies towards his destination. Nothing in his life had ever pissed him off as much as the letter he had just read. Never had the thought even crossed his mind that the devils would go after Xenovia and Irina. He was careless and negligent to think that his friends or that his parents wouldn't be caught in the wake of this drama.

He had hoped that fear of his power would have negated anyone from trying anything this bold or insulting. How wrong he was to think that a prideful devil or angel would simply accept his strength and leave him alone. No…they saw him as a threat and sought to challenge and offend him. They couldn't just leave him alone because their vanity compelled them to subjugate anything they could. They would pay greatly for this. Apparently, a stronger message needed to be sent. Issei had no desire to be involved in politics or to war with the devils, but he had no qualms about destroying anyone who threatened his life or the lives of his friends. This devil was going to die…and nothing was going to stop it.

Issei only had two of his four wings out currently but was already prepared to use his full power and even his Boosted Gear if necessary. Despite the irrational anger and hatred swelling within him, Issei was coherent enough to realize what his retaliation was going to bring about. This pathetic devil sought to abduct his friends and then hide behind the Maou and the nobility like some political coward. What a fool he was to think that a dragon gave any damns about his political standing.

Issei growled with fury as he began to fly even faster. In his anger he failed to realize that his usual illusion spell was currently not in effect to negate Gabriel. The epiphany dawned on him a moment later when a blinding bright light intercepted him in the sky. To his annoyance, it was none other than Gabriel herself.

She didn't try to stop him but managed to keep up in the air as she flew directly next to him. The archangel was quick to catch his attention as she spoke, "Issei Hyoudou, wait!"

' _I don't have time for this god damn shit right now!'_ he thought annoyed as he briefly halted his flight and began to flap his wings midair. There was no point in rushing back into the dimensional gap with the seraph now in his company.

He sent her a nasty glare as he spoke with anger, "I don't have time for this shit, Gabriel. Go away!"

"It's your friends, right? The exorcist girls Irina Shidou and Xenovia Quarta were both kidnapped about an hour and a half ago. I would have stopped it, but I was held up with Michael-kun. I got his permission to rescue them from the devil that kidnapped them. I'm sorry for letting this happen, Issei-kun," Gabriel apologized to him.

Despite his growing rage, he calmed himself momentarily as he found the archangel's humility and apology surprising. He cocked his head at her curiously, "You know who took them then?!"

"Michael-kun and I were able to confirm that a high-class devil from the Astaroth Clan was responsible. I believe it was Diodora Astaroth to be precise. We've seen him do this before. He likes to go after holy maidens and turn them into devils for his peerage," Gabriel explained calmly.

A moment later, Issei grabbed Gabriel by the throat with one hand and began to choke her. He growled angrily, "If that little cunt turned them into devils then I'm fucking killing you! Irina and Xenovia pray to you god damn angels and you didn't do shit to stop this?! What the fuck was so important that you would just let this happen to my friends, huh?! If you knew who was responsible and you've seen this shit before then why the fuck did you let it happen?!"

"I-Issei-I," Gabriel tried to speak as the dragon squeezed harder.

"I know God is dead, but what the fuck is wrong you people?! You're supposed to protect your own, aren't you?! You're fucking useless! ALL OF YOU ARE!" He hissed.

Gabriel seemed truly shocked and somewhat afraid of Issei's raw strength as she couldn't break free of his grip. She was equally as surprised by Issei's knowledge about God.

She managed to speak again as she reached up and pried his hand slightly open, "Y-you know about God's death?"

"Yeah, and I didn't tell them because I felt bad for them! Now it seems they need to be aware of the reality that you angels can't do shit to keep them safe! If God was alive, he'd be ashamed of every last one of you!" Issei spat as his eyes began to glow gold and his grip tightened further.

"Iss-" Gabriel began to gasp and choke as she writhed in his grip painfully, "You're crushing me!"

A moment later Issei regained clarity as he loosened his grip, _'Shit, what am I doing? It's not her fault. It's my god damn fault! They were my friends…my kin. This is my failure. Why am I taking my anger out on her?'_

The seraph began to gasp for air as he let go of her neck. There was a hand shaped bruise there now much to Issei's regret.

Issei turned away, "This isn't your fault…I shouldn't be taking it out on you. I don't know what came over me. Sorry for that."

Gabriel briefly felt her throat as she looked at Issei concerned, "It's okay, Issei-kun. I was just caught off guard by your strength. You're even more powerful than I thought you were."

"And how powerful did you think I was?" he asked her curiously.

"Easily as powerful as I am if you were able to restrain me like that. Regardless, I am truly sorry for my lapse in oversight. Your anger is completely justified, and you have my forgiveness. God wouldn't have let this happen…you were one percent right about that. This devil should be punished for going after the faithful," Gabriel responded as her ditzy attitude hardened into a more serious one now.

"This is my fault and I'm going to deal with it. I'm getting them back and this devil is going to die…thanks for telling me who was responsible, Gabriel," Issei said with stern determination.

Gabriel looked a bit worried as she shook her head, "That's part of the reason why I couldn't intervene, Issei-kun. The devil responsible is the younger brother to Ajuka Beelzebub…one of the Maou. I couldn't intervene without causing a political incident and restarting the Great War. I needed Michael-kun's permission to rescue them. He is certain that the Maou are reasonable enough to accept diplomacy in this matter. If they are not, then we'll respond with appropriate force."

Issei hissed with anger as he snorted flames out of his nostrils, "We're wasting time! If you're going to help me then let's go! If not, then go hide in Heaven with the rest of the fucking cowards!"

"I'm not hiding Issei-kun. I'll go with you. I swear by God that I will see your friends rescued no matter what. You have my word as a seraph. I pray this doesn't restart the war, but if it does, I'll have your back. I owe you and those girls that much. Their faith hasn't been misplaced in heaven," Gabriel said seriously.

' _I guess she's not as happy-go-lucky as I thought. That's good,'_ Issei thought approvingly.

"Alright, what's the fastest way to the Astaroth Clan then?" he asked her.

She quickly drew a large portal of light in the sky, "I'll open a portal and take us to the Underworld."

Upon opening her light portal, Issei immediately flew through it. Gabriel wasted no time following behind him.

 **The Underworld**

Normally, it took a while to travel to the Underworld conveniently without a summon, but Gabriel's portal seemed to directly teleport them there much to Issei's approval. Since Gabriel was the former messenger of God, it was hardly surprising to him that she had the ability to go anywhere like this. He didn't exactly like the idea of having the seraph help him, but her insight into the situation had already saved him a lot of time and a trip back to Red.

He couldn't help but wonder how Red would react seeing him as angry as he was. He'd probably suggest that they destroy the Underworld together. Issei shook his head at those thoughts, _'I don't want to bother Red with my own problems. I guess it works out that Gabriel was able to get me here. Now I'm going to find this asshole and tear him apart!'_

Halting temporarily in the air, Issei looked around the horizon. The sky was purple and somewhat dark currently but didn't appear as grim or evil as he'd expect Hell to be. He saw many large cities below him, and various districts separated clearly by walls, rivers, and other types of magical barriers.

He sniffed the air for Xenovia and Irina as his eyes darted around for their location. Gabriel was quick to point him in the right direction, "You see that spire in the distance to the right? The one past the floating city? That's the Astaroth territory. It's one of the 33 estate territories owned by the ruling devil nobility. There used to be more, but the stronger houses annexed territories of extinct houses. The Astaroth Clan is one of the most prestigious and powerful. I believe that is where we will find your friends, Issei-kun. That section in the middle ring is called the Astaroth district. The middle building is their palace."

Issei cracked a fist as he gazed at the Astaroth territory in the distance. He began to tremble with hatred as his eye twitched. Cracking both of his fists, he inhaled and exhaled deeply several times.

"Take a few breaths if you need to Issei. You'll want to be calm for thi-" Gabriel never got to finish her sentence as Issei exhaled a powerful flame breath into the sky.

His dark red flames immediately eclipsed the horizon as they rained down upon the Astaroth territory in the distance. The flames burned with blazing intensity as they ignited the landscape below into a raging hellfire.

Without wasting another second, Issei flew forward exhaling more flames as he closed in on his destination. His two current wings that were out left a blazing streak of fire in the sky that created an extremely intimidating sound as they cut through the air. The skies were practically set ablaze as he picked up speed flying towards the Astaroth palace like a jet. He delivered a devastating payload of flames the entire way there which left a noticeable scar of devastation. He honestly didn't even care if anyone died in it as the only thing on his mind right now was killing Diodora Astaroth.

 **Astaroth Palace**

Currently within the Astaroth Palace, a certain Red-headed devil princess and her peerage were busy fighting against Diodora's peerage. They had all split off into pairs to deal with Diodora's various pieces as they moved in to rescue a blonde nun. So far, they were somewhat successful in their advance, but they were currently being held up in the throne room as Rias, Gasper, and Akeno fought Diodora's queen and bishops. Kiba and Koneko were both busy fighting the rooks, knights, and pawns. The battle was evenly matched for the most part, but Rias' added help was starting to overwhelm Diodora's queen.

Diodora himself wasn't even bothering to involve himself in the fight as he stood behind his peerage smiling smugly. He couldn't help but gloat as one of his bishops healed his queen that Rias nearly defeated, "Having trouble, Rias? You haven't even made it to me yet, hahaha!"

"Give us Asia back and I won't kill you!" Rias demanded as her crimson destruction powers began to amplify considerably.

"Mmmm…no. She's mine now, and there's nothing you can do about it. She came here willingly," he countered.

"That's because you lied to her! She's one of ours! You're breaking the rules by abducting her!" Rias shouted.

"I'm well within my rights to claim her. You didn't reincarnate her as a devil, and that means she's not technically your servant. I guess that explains why you didn't cry to big brother Sirzechs to come help you, huh?!" Diodora said with smug satisfaction.

Strung up next to him, a sad blonde girl was restrained. She looked terrified and was crying, "Rias-sama?! Help!"

"I'm kind of curious though, Rias…why didn't you turn her into a devil yet?" Diodora asked the red-haired girl.

Rias frowned, "I wouldn't force that on her! I was trying to convince her, but it should be her choice, not mine!"

"You Gremorys are so pathetically sentimental and weak! Hahahaha! Well, you'll be happy to know that I already turned her into a devil. She's mine now, and you're technically breaking the rules by being here. You're going to get into a lot of trouble for this. Not even Sirzechs can bail you out of attacking another devil heir unprovoked!" he ranted proudly.

"It was provoked! You won't get away with this!" Rias shouted.

"Little Asia here is just the start…I also went ahead and collected two more maidens for my collection. I believe you've met these two. They go to your school, don't they?" Diodora taunted as he snapped his fingers. This caused Xenovia and Irina to both appear from a summoning circle.

Both were restrained and looked like they had taken quite a beating. Diodora laughed as he ran a hand down Xenovia's thigh, "I haven't had the chance to rape any of them yet, but I can't wait to break these three in. They'll make excellent servants and sex slaves!"

Irina and Xenovia were both restrained, and their mouths were gagged. Rias rose a brow disbelievingly when she saw them, "You kidnapped those girls too?! They're Issei Hyoudou's friends!"

"Yeah, and?!" Diodora grinned maliciously, "that worthless dragon trash was asking for it when he left them alone all vulnerable for me to claim."

Akeno's eyes went wide when she looked over at Rias, "If he kidnapped Hyoudou's friends, this could be bad. Hyoudou wouldn't think twice about attacking here!"

"Akeno's right. We all saw what Hyoudou did when Riser Phenex pissed him off. He'll go crazy when he finds out about this!" Kiba added.

"Y-you mean t-that d-dragon could c-come back here?!" Gasper said fearfully as he vividly remembered Issei humiliating Riser Phenex.

"You'll pay twofold for this Diodora! We made peace with Hyoudou and promised him the devils wouldn't bother him! You've just broken our deal with him!" Rias said distraught.

Diodora smugly smiled, "I was counting on it. As if I could ever just accept some arrogant dragon making demands of us. That stupid creature has no idea who I am, and even if he could find me, he wouldn't dare attack a Maou's brother!"

"Maybe he wouldn't, but I would!" Rias said angrily.

"I think he would…you heard what he said at the Rating Game. Never piss off a dragon," Koneko added.

Before anyone else could say another word, an earthquake began to shake the ground beneath them. They could all hear a terrifying roar coming from outside as the walls as well.

"What the hell was that?!" Akeno gasped as she looked around urgently.

"I'm willing to bet it's Hyoudou…" Koneko answered.

"Oh no! He's here!" Gasper cowered fearfully.

 **Outside the Palace**

Issei's meteoric arrival caused entire buildings to implode and shatter as dragonfire launched in all directions. The servants of the Astaroth clan and the various citizens of this district panicked and cried in absolute terror as the dragon let out a deafening roar.

Issei stared briefly at the Astaroth palace when he noticed it was undamaged by this arrival. He was quick to realize it was protected by a magical ward of some kind. With hatred and determination, he charged towards the magical barrier and punched it as hard as possible.

A crack went across the entire barrier from the first hit. Annoyed by the fact that it wasn't destroyed in one punch, Issei howled with fury as he held up his hands. Red draconic magic began to drown the surrounding area in power before Issei condensed it into his hands.

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAA!" He shouted as a beam of magical energy shot forth from his hands. It easily shattered the barrier a second later and cut half of the palace in half like a knife through butter.

Directing both hands upward, Issei then forced the beam to spread into the air causing a vortex of chaotic magic to swirl around the sky. This darkened it into a nightmarish and foreboding red. Gabriel arrived just in time to dodge its swirling energies as she landed next to Issei.

"Issei-kun, what are you doing?!" Gabriel asked, but her question was answered soon after when she saw the magical vortex creating clouds. Tempests of lightning and balls of fire rained from the sky as the dragon hunted for his prey.

He quickly found the scents of Xenovia and Irina and flew towards them with haste. It didn't take long before many devils tried to stop his advance. Issei effortlessly blasted them back or knocked them away with simple blunt trauma. He didn't care enough to notice whether any of them died or not as he advanced towards his destination.

Finally, Issei burst into the half-destroyed throne-room mere moments later. He noticed both Irina and Xenovia were strung up and restrained as well as a blonde girl in a nun's outfit. Rias and her peerage's presence there caught him slightly off guard, but he paid them no mind as he looked for his target. Standing in the half-ruined throne room of the Astaroth palace, Issei finally noticed a younger looking devil man with bluish green hair. His eyes were a yellowish hue and were wide with disbelief when he saw Issei.

He looked truly shocked by Issei's presence as the dragon landed on the ground and stared him down.

"I'm too stupid to find you huh?!" Issei spoke with rhetoric malice as he began to advance slowly.

"H-he's here!" Gasper practically cried as he hid behind Rias.

"Get back you dragon filth! I'm heir to the Astaroth Clan! You can't do this! You're declaring war on the Underworld if you so much as lay a single finger on me!" The devil shouted.

"I don't fucking care! Nothing in this god damn universe is going to save you from me, you arrogant piece of shit!" Issei howled as he flew past Rias' group and Diodora's peerage. The queen and bishops attempted to stop him with magic, but he was completely unfazed by their attacks as he side swiped them knocking all three to the ground.

Diodora attempted to shield himself with a powerful green barrier and stopped Issei momentarily. "You can't break my barrier, dragon! I'm a high-class devil and you're half-breed filth! Don't you dare mock me with your disgusting existence in my home!" the devil ranted.

Issei punched the barrier several times causing cracks to go across it much to Diodora's concern. His entire peerage and Rias' could only watch helplessly as Issei broke it a second later. Before anyone could even realize what was happening, Issei was brutally beating the devil.

Holding him by his hair, Issei repeatedly punched the devil in the face, stomach and neck. He purposely made sure not to use full force so he wouldn't kill Diodora right away. The devil coughed up blood and gasped for air as this brief beating sent him to the ground.

As he collapsed to the ground, Issei followed up by stomping on one of his arms as hard as possible. This caused a sickening snap to echo as the bones were undoubtedly shattered now. Diodora screamed in agony as Issei pressed his weight onto the devil's arm. The dragon spoke with pure hatred, "I thought about murdering you instantly, but you should suffer first!"

"ARRRGHHH! NOOO!" Diodora shrieked as Issei kicked him in the groin a second later.

It was at this moment, Gabriel finally caught up to Issei. The archangel wasted no time flying over to free Xenovia and Irina from their restraints and gags. She easily broke the strange magical holds they had on them and spoke to the girls urgently, "Are you two okay?!"

"Gabriel-sama?! Y-you came?! Thank God! You and Issei came to save us!" Irina said relieved as she hugged onto the seraph with tears in her eyes.

Rias looked completely shocked by the 12-winged angel being there and spoke up disbelievingly, "Wait…that's the seraph Gabriel?!"

"Why is she here with Hyoudou?" Kiba wondered.

Akeno watched as the angel tried to comfort the girls. She glanced at Issei and quickly tried to get his attention, "Hyoudou-kun, are you and Archangel Gabriel working together?!"

Before Issei could answer, Gabriel spoke to the Gremory devils, "I offered to help Issei-kun rescue his friends. I'm also the one who told him it was Diodora Astaroth and I brought him here immediately."

"We appreciate the help, but this kind of arrival is definitely going to notify half of the Underworld that we're under attack. You realize this could be misinterpreted as an act of war, right?" Rias asked Gabriel.

The blonde angel nodded at her, "I completely understand that situation, but we will not turn a blind eye to this devil attacking the faithful. I hope diplomacy can be reached, but I am prepared to act if it's not."

"I see…" Rias trailed off slowly as her eyes moved over towards Issei who was still stomping on Diodora's limbs and toying with him.

Issei briefly paused his brutal beatdown of Diodora as he glanced over at Gabriel, "They're not devils are they Gabriel?!"

"Irina and Xenovia are still human, Issei-kun…although the blonde girl isn't," the seraph answered.

Issei stared at the saddened blonde nun who was now crying on her knees, _'That's the girl with Twilight Healing I'll bet. That might explain why Gremory's people are all here. Did they come to save her? That's surprisingly noble of them. Had I arrived any later, Irina and Xenovia could have suffered the same fate...or worse.'_

' _ **Gremory's people have likely been delaying him this entire time. That's probably a good explanation for why they haven't been defiled or touched yet,'**_ _Ddraig pointed out._

"A-are you Gabriel-sama?" the blonde nun cried as the seraph walked over to examine her.

"Yes. Are you okay?" Gabriel asked the girl. She immediately embraced the angel and cried sadly, "please tell God to forgive me! I never accepted this!"

"It's okay, Asia Argento…God would understand." Gabriel responded with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"Would?" Xenovia perked up uncertainly.

Gabriel's reassurance and Xenovia's confusion was rewarded with a hysterical laugh from Diodora as he got back to his feet, "No he wouldn't! God is dead! Hahahaha! You stupid nuns and exorcists are all praying to nothing up there in Heaven! How do you think I convinced all of my lovely peerage girls to renounce their faith in you pathetic angels! Bwahahaha! Once they all learned the truth, they gave themselves to me willingly!"

Rias' group all went wide-eyed at this information, as they spoke up with various remarks.

"N-no way! God's dead?! How?!" Kiba said disbelievingly.

"That's impossible..." Gasper said shaking his head.

"What are you talking about, Diodora!?" Rias demanded.

Akeno shook her head, "This is unbelievable…he must be lying."

Koneko herself didn't know what to say but was currently staring at Issei who looked even angrier than before from Diodora's comment.

Xenovia and Irina's faces were both distraught and filled with anger. The blue-haired girl was quick to voice her disbelief, "He's lying! Kill him for even saying something like that, Issei!"

"God is alive and well! Right Gabriel-sama?" Irina turned towards the seraph for confirmation.

Being a pure angel, Gabriel couldn't lie. She frowned sadly as she answered, "God died in the Great War along with the original Satans."

"W-what?!" Irina shrieked as tears began to fill her eyes again, "n-no, that can't be true! W-we pray every day! God g-gives us miracles!"

"Michael-kun has been trying his best to keep the prayer system in place, but we angels aren't perfect like him or nearly as powerful. You've all been praying to Michael-kun instead," Gabriel explained.

Xenovia dropped to her knees as an existential crisis began to take hold. She couldn't believe it was true and for the first time in her life, nothing made sense.

"H-how did God die?!" Xenovia demanded disbelievingly.

"Back during the Great War between the three factions of Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils, a pair of dragons battled one another over our battlefield. These two dragons were called Ddraig and Albion. They were better known as the Heavenly Dragons of Domination and Supremacy as well as the Red and White Dragon Emperors. As you'd expect, the battle between these two dragons was so cataclysmic, that it forced all of the factions to temporarily unite in order to stop them from destroying the world. The two then joined forces with each other to fight against God, the angels, and all of the devils. Many leaders from all sides were killed in this battle including all of the original Maou and God himself. Only by sacrificing his own life could God stop them as he sealed the two heavenly dragons into Longinus sacred gears. That's why the war ended originally. All of the original Maou and God himself were no longer around," Gabriel explained honestly to Xenovia, Irina, and everyone else listening.

"How did that kill god though?!" Irina said distraught.

"God was also weakened at the time," Gabriel added.

 _' **So…he was weakened then? That explains a lot. I wonder how though?'** _Ddraig commented.

' _You just had to tell them that, didn't you, Gabriel?'_ Issei thought disapprovingly.

"Enough of this, Gabriel! We can talk about it later!" Issei silenced the angel before she could say anything else.

She looked at him uncertainly, "I thought you wanted me to tell them the truth?"

"I-Issei, you knew?!" Irina gawked disbelievingly.

He didn't answer her, but it was obvious to everyone present that he did. Asia Argento was clutching tightly onto Gabriel, "N-no! Does that mean I can't go to heaven then?!"

Gabriel didn't answer much to Asia's sadness. Even though Issei didn't know the blonde nun very well, seeing her forced into the subjugation of becoming a devil was enough to ignite his rage again.

"That's right girls! You're filthy little dragon friend here has been lying to you this entire time! He knew God was dead and he chose not to tell you! Then again, he was probably certain that you'd condemn his kind after learning the truth! How pathetic!" Diodora ranted annoyingly.

"I-Issei! I-Is that why you didn't-" Irina didn't get to finish her question as Issei interrupted.

He jerked his head towards the cocky Diodora and growled, "You've just made this ten times worse for youself!"

"Issei-kun…it's not worth it. We saved your friends and the Gremory girl can take Asia Argento to safety. We should leave," Gabriel tried to talk him out of it.

"Yeah, that's right! My brother is going to kill you if you don't get out of here!" Diodora threatened as he teleported himself a safer distance away.

"Nobody is going to save you from me, devil," Issei said darkly as he began to walk towards Diodora again.

"You think you can take me?! Have a taste of my power, dragon trash!" Diodora boasted as he held up his hand.

Much to the delinquent's interest, he noticed that Diodora was beginning to regenerate and heal from his injuries as a purple glow enveloped the his normally green magic.

Issei noticed a purple infinity sign over Diodora's palm. It was in the shape of a snake and it seemed to be amplifying the devil's power. The dragon cocked his head at it curiously, _'The infinity sign is only really used by Ophis and Red as far as I'm aware…is he with the Khaos Brigade?'_

' _ **That purple and black magic definitely fits the description of Ophis' power. She must have given him a snake,'**_ Ddraig confirmed.

' _A snake?'_ Issei said uncertainly, _'maybe Vali and Tiamat have one of those too. What does it do?'_

' _ **As far as I know, it vastly amplifies magical power and gives its wielders greater resilience. For a pathetic devil like him it would undoubtedly quadruple his power. In the hands of someone like Vali, it would give her nearly unlimited stamina and a higher magical threshold. If Vali has one of those, then our fight against her and Albion will be very interesting,**_ ' Ddraig explained.

Issei stood there carelessly as he watched Diodora form a spell out of his hand. Ophis' added powers to his own caused a massive surge of magic to shoot in Issei's direction.

Holding up one hand, Issei charged a red and gold one. There was a brief clash of magical energy before Issei's counter easily overwhelmed Diodora's. The counter was so one-sided, that it ended up blasting Diodora's entire arm off before shooting behind him and slicing half of the horizon in half.

"ARGHHH! My arm! How dare you! My brother's going to kill you for this!" Diodora shouted hysterically.

Issei wasted no time immediately charging in to punish the devil once again. He bashed Diodora in the face relentlessly as he knocked out multiple teeth and shattered the devil's jaw.

"Shut the fuck up! You'll never speak again!" Issei said hatefully as he then reached his hand into Diodora's mouth and tore out his tongue. Blood splattered everywhere and all over Issei's face as the devil cried out in horrific pain.

"You'll never fly again!" the dragon continued as he forced Diodora's wings out before tearing both of them off his back. He screamed in torment as Issei followed up by stomping on one of his feet. This shattered every bone in Diodora's foot and almost liquified it from the burning aura around Issei's body.

"You'll never walk again!" he followed as he held Diodora tightly and broke both of his legs in dozens of places.

"You'll never fuck again!" Issei hissed before a draconic claw jabbed itself into Diodora's groin and squeezed. A searing mist of blood went everywhere as Issei simultaneously crushed Diodora's crotch and cauterized it. A blood curdling shriek echoed throughout the area Diodora began to pathetically cry in indescribable pain. Blood was everywhere now, and it was truly a wonder that he wasn't dead yet.

"You'll never see again!" the dragon hissed as he grabbed Diodora by the head and pressed his clawed thumbs into the devil's eyes. After gouging them out, Issei tossed the devil to the ground.

Diodora groaned in agony but couldn't make sense of what was happening now due to the absence of his eyes and his extreme pain.

' _Death is too good for this piece of shit, but if I left him like this, they'd only heal him. Although I could kill him and banish his soul into crimson purgatory. He'd be there in this state.'_ Issei thought.

"You'll never live again," Issei concluded as he vaporized Diodora's entire body in dark red flames.

Nobody there could tell, but Issei also banished the devil's soul to a very special pocket dimension. There his soul would truly languish in damnation for the rest of eternity.

' _Enjoy the real Hell, Diodora Astaroth,'_ Issei thought content with the punishment.

"Good riddance…" Issei said as he finally calmed down.

Gabriel looked at Issei concerned, "That was rather violent even for you, Issei-kun. This will undoubtedly upset his brother and many devils within the Underworld."

"I could care less," the dragon said dismissively as he glanced over at the girls that once made up Diodora's peerage. All of them looked frightened beyond description as they cowered at his advance.

Issei took a deep breath as examined the girls, _'They're already devils…and there's no telling what that creep did to these ones. I guess it's true what they say. You can't save em all. At least Xenovia and Irina are okay, but I feel bad for that Asia Argento girl. I don't think he raped her, but she did get turned into a devil. Oh well, at least Gremory will take care of her. She's not all bad…her willingness to fight this guy indirectly saved Xenovia and Irina from the same fate.'_

"P-please, have mercy dragon! We're your servants! We'll do anything, just please don't kill us!" Diodora's queen tried to vouch for the group as she dropped to her knees in front of Issei. The rest quickly followed suit as they dropped to their knees as well and bowed to him.

"I don't believe in slavery. Do what you want…I'm not going to kill you," Issei said carelessly as he looked at Irina and Xenovia again.

Before he could approach his friends, a group of devils arrived and surrounded them on all sides. Issei didn't care enough to take in all of their appearances, but it was clear that they were powerful. One of them had long red hair and looked like a male version of Rias Gremory. To his side was the Grayfia woman that Issei and Vali met on a parking garage.

It didn't take him long to realize the red-haired man was Sirzechs Lucifer and the green haired devil next to him was Ajuka Beelzebub.

"I wondered how someone was able to attack the Astaroth territory out of nowhere. Now it makes sense…Gabriel was involved. It's fortunate most of the family wasn't here…but it looks like the palace was almost razed," The green-haired devil said with a stoic matter of fact tone as he looked over at the seraph.

"Ajuka Beelzebub, and Sirzechs Lucifer…" Gabriel said their names as she acknowledged the curious stares that they were giving her.

"I trust you have a reasonable explanation for what happened here? Your presence and this destruction will not be taken lightly otherwise," Ajuka stated calmly.

"I certainly do, Ajuka Beelzebub, but things did get a bit out of hand," Gabriel began.

It was only then that the two Maou and their entourage noticed Rias' group, Diodora's peerage members, and even Xenovia and Irina.

"What's going on? Rias, what are you and your peerage doing here?" Sirzechs spoke up with surprise.

"Onii-sama, I brought my peerage here to rescue a girl that was under my protection. Diodora abducted her as well as Hyoudou-san's friends! We were here first for the past hour, but Hyoudou-san arrived a while afterward along with the Archangel Gabriel." Rias explained quickly.

"That would definitely explain what happened here then…so you're Hyoudou-san? A shame we had to meet under these circumstances. I tried to meet you the other day, but you resisted my summon," Ajuka introduced himself to Issei.

"You got some nerve acting friendly with me after your god damn pervert brother abducted my friends! I told you fucking devils to leave me alone! If you think I'm a joke, then why do you insist on disrupting my life?!" Issei said rudely to Ajuka.

The Maou raised a brow in confusion, "Pervert brother? What did he do exactly?"

"To start, he kidnapped my friends and he left me a note saying he was going to turn them into devils and ravage them as he saw fit. I take it he intended on doing the same thing to the girl Rias Gremory was protecting. If you don't believe our testimony, then ask Diodora's peerage…they're all formerly nuns and holy girls from what I've heard. Don't tell me you never fucking noticed this shit before. Why else do you think Gabriel is here?" Issei scoffed.

Ajuka glanced around uncertainly, "Where is Diodora himself? I would like to confront him on this matter."

"H-Hyoudou-sama killed him, Beelzebub-sama," Diodora's queen answered timidly.

' _Hyoudou-sama? Was she being serious about being his servant?'_ Rias thought curiously.

Ajuka sighed, "That's very unfortunate. Such a brazen retaliation will not go unanswered. I hope you understand that there will consequences for this retribution, Hyoudou-san."

"I'm glad he's dead and I wouldn't think twice about doing it again! If you think you can intimidate me with this Gestapo devil crap, then you're wrong!" Issei spat.

The Maou rose a brow, "Is that so? Tiamat told me you were incredibly powerful. It only seems more evident considering you could also resist a forced summon from me. That would mean you possess magical powers well beyond that of a high-class devil or a high dragon. That in addition to your fearlessness only confirms to me that you're even more powerful than Tiamat suspects. Judging by your alliance with Gabriel, I'd even wager that you're around her power level. Am I correct in this assumption?"

"You tell me…you're the genius here apparently," Issei replied with a smartass tone.

Ajuka narrowed his gaze at Issei's attitude, "My brother might have deserved the punishment you gave him, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you unlawfully attacked a high-class devil heir and a member of the pillars. You should have let us punish him. This is going to cause a political backlash and ultimately damage Underworld relations."

"So fucking what?! I've tried being diplomatic with you damned devils! I don't bother you at all and I just want to finish high school for fuck's sake! But no! Every other day one of you people has to intrude on my life and push your politics and agendas onto me! I'm sick of it all! I tried to be civil with Gremory and Sitri, and I was promised that me and my friends wouldn't be bothered anymore. You're the ones who broke your deal with me and this is the damn result! The pillars can suck my dick if they don't like it! Every last one of them!" Issei shouted back at the Maou with repressed anger rising to the surface once again.

"It would be wise for you to calm down before you do something foolish. I'm not personally condemning you for what happened here, but your attitude isn't helping the situation. If all of this testimony is true, then you will be given amnesty and we won't have to kill you," Ajuka said slowly.

Issei glared at him intensely, "You won't have to kill me, huh? Just try it…it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"I don't think you truly want that. Behaving with irrational and erratic behavior isn't going to help your case at all. I'll ask again nicely…calm down," Ajuka countered.

' _These devils STILL think they can come up and flex on me!? Fuck this guy! I'm beating his damn ass so they will finally stop being condescending!'_ Issei thought furiously.

Ddraig was quick to respond telepathically, _**'Are you planning on using the Boosted Gear at all?'**_

' _Only if I have to. It might not be the best idea to use your power in front of Irina and Xenovia right now,'_ the delinquent answered.

Without hesitation, Issei immediately exhaled dark red flames in Ajuka's direction causing the devil to ward them with a defensive spell. The flames struggled against the magic for a moment but didn't take long to burn through it much to the Maou's surprise.

He spoke with calm tactfulness as he dodged Issei's follow-up breath, "Impressive flames. Yours are quite unique from what I can tell. This is chaos fire. Quite dangerous and powerful…Tiamat can do it as well. It's a trait usually found among some of the dragon kings."

' _He's analyzing my power huh? This guy is treating this shit like a damn science experiment. Still, he seems pretty intelligent. I shouldn't take him lightly.'_ Issei thought annoyed.

"You don't know shit about real dragons…and I'm about to prove it right now you smug prick!" Issei growled as his draconic aura amplified considerably. A pillar of red and gold magic erupted skyward as a blinding light drowned the nearby area in raw power.

Everyone minus Gabriel, the Maou, their escort, and Grayfia fell to their knees from the extreme magical pressure as Issei's second pair of wings came out of his back. His glowing golden eyes sharpened even further into reptilian slits as his arms and legs formed scales over his skin's extremities. Two horns also shot out of Issei's head as well as a tail from his lower back.

"Four wings?! I've never seen a dragon with four wings before!" Rias exclaimed with simultaneous amazement and terror. She and the others could only watch as Issei's overwhelming magical power started evaporating the nearby palace slowly turning everything around them to dust.

"Hyoudou was this powerful!? I though the was strong before! He's going to destroy the entire city at this rate!" Kiba shouted with concern.

Irina and Xenovia both had equally amazed and horrified reactions to Issei's _full_ draconic power.

"Sirzechs-sama, should we stop this?" Grayfia asked her husband with noticeable concern.

He shook his head, "Not yet…I want to see a bit more first. Shield the others though. This could be dangerous for them."

Sirzechs and Grayfia moved to shield everyone else from Issei's power as the entirety of the Astaroth palace started crumbling around them. The other devils that escorted the Maou there all finally began to drop down to their knees from the power as well.

"Lucifer-sama! I can't stand!" one of them announced as he proudly tried to get back up.

' _Why did Ajuka instigate him like that? Was he trying to get a gauge on Issei Hyoudou's true power? Ajuka should be okay, but this was a bit dangerous to try with everyone else around still,'_ Sirzechs thought concerned.

"Your power is most impressive…I can see now why you're very proud and rebellious. Unfortunately, you won't be able to kill me, so this is all rather pointless," Ajuka said with disinterest.

"Is Beelzebub-sama trying to anger him further?!" Akeno said disbelievingly at the situation.

Sirzechs looked on with concern, _'This is not the best way to make a good impression, Ajuka. Is drawing out his power really worth it?'_

The Maou's statement was met with Issei channeling a magic spell in his hands. Holding them both together, Issei spoke, "KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The combined energy from his hands shot outward as a single wave of pure red power. Ajuka quickly bent reality to redirect the attack back at Issei. In this redirection, he also doubled the attack's size. Thinking fast, Issei opened a portal directly in front of himself forcing the Kamehameha into it.

The Maou actually looked concerned for a moment, "A portal?"

Before he could reflect on this information, another portal opened directly next to him where the attack was now coming. He couldn't seal the portal or affect it in any way for some reason, but he managed to bend the beam off his trajectory and into the sky.

As it shot skyward, a third portal appeared to absorb it. A fourth one then reopened directly next to it firing right back at the devil. This continued onward for a few moments as multiple portals would constantly open and redirect the attack back towards the Maou who was somehow bending reality.

This left countless streaks of the energy beam coiling around the dozens of open portals in the sky. Once enough had been formed, Issei then sealed all the portals causing the energy to simply explode. It was only then that Ajuka realized Issei had been drawing a cage around him with the portals.

He warded the enclosing cage of draconic power and followed up by turning it into a single ball of energy. Like a sun, it dwarfed him considerably. He then repurposed the energy into water as he caused it to start raining over the burning landscape.

Issei found it curious how the water was able to extinguish his draconic flames but didn't say anything about it. The Maou calmly landed in front of Issei again and shook his head, "I wasn't expecting portals. You continue to surprise me with your power. Still…it won't be enough to actually kill me."

' _ **He can manipulate reality from what I can tell. Any type of attack you throw at him will just be repurposed or redirected somehow. Conventional abilities need to be supplemented with the immaterium if you want to prevent him from manipulating your power or attacks. He couldn't directly affect those portals into the dimensional gap that you opened,'**_ Ddraig mentored Issei during the following pause.

' _He can affect reality, but not a dream…or a nightmare rather. If I use Red's power of dreams and illusions, he won't be able to stop my attacks or even see them coming. A master of reality can't control fantasy,'_ Issei thought tactically.

Staring Ajuka down for a moment, Issei spoke angrily, "We'll see how strong you really are, devil!"

Flying into the sky, Issei then spread his legs and his arms as his body began to glow in a golden color. The skies themselves were almost shaking from the raw power he was expelling as the dragon charged up.

Ajuka flew up across from him in order to distance himself from the weaker bystanders. He shook his head as Issei continued to power up an attack. The super devil found it a bit confusing as Issei started to glow like a star. Lightning crackled throughout the sky as more and more golden energy condensed around the dragon.

"FINAL FLASH!" Issei shouted powerfully as he brought his hands together and fired the golden energy towards Ajuka.

The Maou predictably seemed unfazed as he bent the attack off trajectory and into the sky again.

"Ajuka!" Sirzechs called out to him from below confusing the green-haired devil.

The Maou couldn't react in time as he felt a powerful surge of energy blast him out of the sky. He couldn't see where it came from much to his confusion and quickly attempted to recover as he formed a defensive bubble around himself.

It was only then that he realized Issei's attack had somehow hit him even despite his manipulation. It caused a great deal of damage, but he was otherwise okay despite being caught off guard.

' _Issei-kun is even more powerful than I am. Did he use an illusion spell against Ajuka Beelzebub? I wonder how advanced that power actually is if it could affect a Satan like that? Wait…he could have even been using it against me before. I didn't see him leave Kuoh recently, and yet he was on the news in Kyoto! Why didn't I realize that earlier?'_ Gabriel thought to herself.

Ajuka looked around curiously until he saw Issei again. He was truly shocked by what just happened, _'When did he hit me? I redirected his attack and there were no portals this time. Wait…unless he used an illusion somehow. Can he do that?'_

The skies then turned pitch black as a horrific sound echoed throughout the air. Several portals opened all around them as chaotic energy began to flood into the nearby area. The decaying and destructive power of the Dimensional gap came out of these portals and shaped into nightmarish and shadowy forms.

"Mul Qah Diiv!" Issei growled causing the chaotic energy to swirl around his body into some type of armor shaped aura.

Xenovia looked over at Irina from the ground and shook her head, "Isn't that the shout for dragon aspect in Dragon Scrolls V? Issei can actually do it!?"

"Issei said a dragon could do anything they wanted…he wasn't kidding." Irina responded with absolute disbelief.

"FUS RO DAH!" Issei then shouted as loudly as possible causing a wave of unstoppable force to send Ajuka flying back into the ground leaving a massive crater.

Issei took in his serious reaction as he landed and shook his head, "Try bending my powers now!"

"I was going easy on you, but if you're serious about fighting to the death, then so be it…" Ajuka sighed as he stared Issei down with serious eyes now.

Issei didn't say anything in response as he slowly held his forearm up in front of his body. Everyone had widened anxious stares as they wondered what the purpose of doing it was for. As he held up his arm preparing to activate balance breaker, Issei immediately raised his middle finger to Ajuka instead.

' _It looked like he was about to do something with his arm…I guess it was just an overdramatic way of flipping the bird,'_ Rias thought.

"Ajuka, that's enough! There's no need for this anymore! Hyoudou-san, please calm down too! If you keep this up, innocents will die in the crossfire." Sirzechs intervened finally.

Both of them turned towards the red-haired man curiously. Ajuka nodded his head as he briefly closed his eyes, "Of course, Sirzechs…I will stand down. Issei Hyoudou, you have proven your strength to me, and I see no more reason for us to fight now."

' _He's a lot more powerful than I thought he was. Granted, I could probably still beat him without the Boosted Gear if I used Nightmare Mode,'_ Issei thought.

' _ **He might be able to control reality, but he can't control imagination or dreams. Your use of the power Red gave you seemed appropriately suited to counter his. If you added mine into the mix, he wouldn't stand a chance,'**_ Ddraig said approvingly.

' _I should work on perfecting Nightmare Mode with balance breaker. I've never actually practiced combining the two before. It might be necessary against even more powerful enemies. I'll talk to Red about how to get better at it later. I'll be this Maou's worst nightmare if he ever flexes at me again like that,'_ Issei replied.

"If he's backing down, then I'll let it go too," Issei sighed as he receded his powers and his draconic form.

"I'm glad you could see reason you two. There is no need for anyone else to die here. This situation is very delicate, however. My sister confirmed the truth that your brother was performing unethical kidnappings on humans protected by Heaven. Diodora even went after a girl under her protection. Under these circumstances, and with the witnesses present, it would only confirm that Diodora was in the wrong. Gabriel's involvement also means that the angels have a stake in this matter and will expect some form of justice. Your brother would not have been able to walk away from this even if Hyoudou hadn't killed him. If Diodora was granted amnesty by us it could have potentially started a war with Heaven. His death was an unfortunate situation, but it wasn't unjust," Sirzechs lectured seriously.

Ajuka sighed heavily as he glanced at the seraph, "Can you also confirm this, Gabriel?"

"Diodora Astaroth has been kidnapping holy maidens under Heaven's protection. We could not allow it to go on any longer. It was not my intention to cause an incident, but we've been authorized to use appropriate force to settle this matter. I want all of these girls freed from the Astaroth family and your assurance that the faithful will not be kidnapped or harmed again. Issei Hyoudou is also under Heaven's protection and any further attempts to provoke him will be met by our intervention," Gabriel spoke diplomatically.

"I don't think he needs your protection…" Grayfia muttered aloud.

"Very well, your terms are accepted Archangel Gabriel. You're free to take my brother's former peerage and we will stand down in this matter. With that being said, I hope you understand that we won't be able to stop the political backlash from this. My parents and many nobles will likely take it very harshly. With that matter settled, I'll be leaving now," Ajuka spoke before teleporting away.

After he was gone, Issei turned towards Sirzechs, "So you're Gremory's brother? Sirzechs Lucifer?"

"Yes, nice to finally meet you face to face, Issei Hyoudou. I apologize for Ajuka provoking you like that. He was only acting in the defense of the Underworld and his family. You are going to upset a lot of people for what you did here today. I don't condemn you for it though…you were here to help your friends and indirectly you helped my sister once again. I will do what I can to temper this political backlash. Your display of power and Heaven's backing will likely deter any further attempts from devils to provoke you or disturb your peaceful human life," Sirzechs explained.

Issei nodded, "Alright, then…but if anyone ever touches my friends or my family again, then you can damn well bet you'll get your war with me."

"I'll do everything I can to honor your request. I have one request of my own however. Please look out for my sister and her friends. I'm certain the Lady Leviathan would also ask you to look out for Sona and her friends as well. Can you please do that for me? I'm asking as an older brother and not a Maou." Sirzechs said with a bit more humility than Issei expected.

The dragon shrugged, "I guess…"

"Thank you," Sirzechs thanked Issei before departing with Grayfia and his devil entourage.

After they were gone, Gabriel looked at Issei, "I'll teleport you all back to Kuoh."

"W-what about us?" Diodora's queen asked the angel concerned.

She tilted her head at the girl, "I can take you to a safe place for now. Go into this portal and we'll talk about it later," Gabriel said before creating a light portal. The girls took the hint to step into it before teleporting away.

Immediately creating another one, Gabriel turned towards the rest of them, "This portal here is for Kuoh. All of you step in now and I'll deliver you back there immediately."

Issei walked over towards the portal where everyone else was already standing. Without a word, they were all transported back to Kuoh Academy.

 **Kuoh**

Upon arriving back on Earth Issei let out a sigh of relief, _'I'm so glad I was able to get Xenovia and Irina out in time.'_

"C'mon, let's go home…" Issei spoke to Irina and Xenovia as he put his hands in his pocket and began to walk down the street.

"Hyoudou-kun, wait!" Rias called out to Issei as his two exorcist girlfriends followed behind him.

The delinquent turned back and looked at Rias, "What Gremory?"

"Thanks for killing Diodora. That slimy bastard deserved to die. I don't care what anyone in the Underworld will say…you'll have the backing of the Gremory Family, and I know the Sitri Family also supports you," Rias said approvingly.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you actually…" Issei said slowly much to the ORC members' disbelief.

Koneko cocked her head disbelievingly, "Did Hyoudou-san just say he should be thanking us?"

"What for exactly?" Rias tilted her head at Issei uncertainly.

"You kept him occupied. Had you not been there to do so…there's no telling what would have happened to Irina and Xenovia. I won't forget that," Issei explained as he looked away.

"I-I never even thought about that…" Rias trailed off.

"Neither did I…" Irina spoke up for the first time in a while. She and Xenovia both looked a bit depressed.

"I'd hate to be presumptuous and bother you further, Hyoudou-kun, but can you please stay and talk to us for a few minutes before you go home? A lot of crazy stuff happened tonight, and it'll be awkward if we don't clear it up," Rias requested.

"Yeah…okay," Issei agreed much to the disbelief of everyone present.

"Seriously?" Rias perked up shocked.

Kiba and Koneko traded widened expressions as they both turned back towards Issei.

"What do you want to talk about?" Issei sighed as he looked them over.

"Well to start…how do you have four wings? I've never seen a dragon with four wings before. Not only that, but you're even more powerful than anyone thought you were! Why do you live so humbly if you're this strong?" Rias wondered.

Issei shrugged, "I don't feel the need to go around and flex on weaker beings just so I can feel superior. That's something devils like to do, and it's the main reason I don't like your kind. As for the wings, that's just a personal trait of mine. All dragons are unique, so it doesn't mean anything special or prestigious like wings do to you angels. Mine are representative of my power though which I'm sure you noticed."

"So…you're in league with Heaven and the angels? That's surprising considering you're friends with fallen angels and even Leviathan-sama too," Akeno added.

"Wait…what are you talking about Akeno?" Rias interjected.

The dark-haired girl quickly answered, "Hyoudou-san said he was friends with some of the fallen angels in this town."

"Only a few of them," Issei immediately clarified.

"How does Gabriel-sama feel about you being friends with fallen angels?" Akeno asked curiously.

Issei shook his head, "I don't care how she feels. I can be friends with whoever I want."

Asia finally decided to speak to Issei herself as she approached him, "Sorry to bother you, Hyoudou-san…no Hyoudou-sama, but do you happen to know a fallen angel named Raynare?"

"Yeah, she cooks breakfast for me a lot. She can be a bit sadistic, but I keep her in check," Issei said completely serious causing the devils to eye him uncertainly.

"Wait…you know that fallen angel?!" Akeno gasped.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I met her the night Gremory came after her. I was going to let you kill her, but she was honest with me, so I let her spend the night."

"She spent the night?!" Akeno's eyes widened, "as in…sleep with you?"

"Sort of, but we just watched anime on the couch," Issei shrugged.

Akeno looked at him bewildered, but didn't know how to respond.

"We've met her twice now…Raynare, Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt are a different group of Fallen Angels than the rest of the main faction in this town. They work for Azazel directly," Xenovia explained.

Rias went wide eyed at that statement, "Really? So Azazel wanted them to kidnap Asia Argento and steal her sacred gear?"

"That was their goal until I came into the picture," Issei said casually.

"Raynare was after my sacred gear…Twlight Healing and then there was this evil exor-" Asia didn't get to finish her sentence as Issei stopped her.

"Raynare isn't going to touch you, and I killed that exorcist already. You'll be safe with Gremory's group, and if not, I'll still be around in Kuoh. Just stay out of trouble and I'll make sure nobody bothers you," Issei tried to reassure the blonde girl.

She looked at Issei hopefully, "Really?!"

"Yeah…" he nodded.

"So what should I do now?" Asia asked Issei uncertainly.

He gave her a perplexed stare, "Why are you asking me?"

"I…I don't know what to do anymore! If God's dead and I'm no longer a member of the church, what can I do?" Asia began to cry again.

Xenovia shook her head as she placed a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder, "Don't lose faith…heaven was still looking after us."

"B-but I'm a devil now!" Asia said sadly as tears streaked down her face.

Issei sighed, "Gabriel will still look after you…she's going to be taking care of Diodora's peerage too. You can either go with them or with Gremory here. Considering a devil princess like her was willing to come save you, I wouldn't wholly condemn her peerage as bad people. Still…do what you think is right."

"Yeah, we're not going to hate you for it. Even if God is dead, he wouldn't want us to stop being virtuous," Irina said reassuringly to the blonde nun.

"It's still your choice, Asia Argento…I could use a bishop for my peerage, but I don't want to force you into being my servant," Rias explained.

"What would it entail exactly?" Xenovia asked Rias curiously.

Before Rias could answer, Akeno did first, "Nothing crazy. She would just go to school with us in Kuoh and participate in Rating Games. Rias is actually one of the nicest devil heirs. She treats all of her servants well. Everyone here can attest to that."

"Would heaven hate me for it though?" Asia asked sadly.

Irina shook her head, "Of course it wouldn't! You're a victim in all of this."

Kiba was quick to join in the conversation as well, "I was once a member of the church too. I was part of the Holy Sword project under Valper Galilei. When I was close to death, Rias saved my life and gave me a new one. These years I've spent in the Gremory household have been better than I ever expected."

 _'Valper Galilei? Isn't that the guy Xenovia and Irina are after?'_ Issei thought curiously.

"I'm curious about something, Rias…how did Diodora turn her into a devil exactly? Didn't he have a full peerage already?" Koneko asked curiously.

"I don't know…that's actually a good question. It's possible he had an extra piece, but that's illegal. I'll mention that to Onii-sama when I see him later. It should further justify our defense," Rias replied.

Xenovia and Irina traded serious looks with one another as they both stared at Kiba. The blue haired girl immediately addressed him, "Wait a minute…you know Valper Galilei?!"

"Yes, and I want to kill him too. That man is evil," Kiba replied seriously.

"We found out he's working with the Fallen Angel Cadre Kokabiel to gather excaliburs. The fallen angels that Issei is friends with are also trying to stop him under orders from their leader Azazel," Xenovia told them the truth.

"Let me help you!" Kiba immediately insisted.

"Yuuto, are you okay?" Rias asked the blonde devil with concern.

"Yes! I swore I'd get my revenge against him!" Kiba said strongly.

"Issei, you could easily stop Kokabiel if we went after them!" Irina added

Xenovia turned towards Issei curiously, "What do you think, Issei?"

He shrugged in response, "I don't know. We should probably let the Underworld calm down for a bit before dealing with him."

"Hyoudou-kun has a good point. Considering the tensions between Heaven and the Underworld right now, attacking a Fallen Angel Cadre could start a war. We should let things blow over first and it's probably a good idea if I let my brother know too. I'd be more than willing to assist you all in stopping Kokabiel though, and I'm certain Sona and her peerage would too," Rias agreed

' _Great…just invite the whole town while you're at it,'_ Issei thought sarcastically his head.

"Well, if that'll be all, I'm going home now," Issei said as he turned to leave.

Before he could however, Akeno addressed him, "Hyoudou-san, one more thing before you go…is it alright if I call you Issei?"

He gave her a perplexed look, "Are you asking to be friends with me even after I fought one of your Maou?"

"Yes, I am," Akeno bowed politely.

"Alright, Akeno…go ahead. Everyone else calls me by my first name, I don't really care if you guys do too," the delinquent nodded.

"You're welcome to use our first names as well," Rias quickly added.

"Okay then…see you at school tomorrow, Rias," Issei waved before leaving with Irina and Xenovia.

"Farewell Issei-sama!" Asia added.

' _Why would they want to be friends with me after I nearly leveled a district in the Underworld and squared up with a Maou?'_ Issei couldn't help but wonder.

 **'** _ **Devils respect power a great deal. Normally I'd assume this was some type of ass-kissing, but they seem genuine in their respect of you as a person,'**_ Ddraig stated factually.

He shook his head, _'The only reason I'm even humoring them right now is because of what they did for that Asia girl and for Irina and Xenovia. I doubt we could actually be friends, but they're not as terrible as I originally assumed.'_

' _ **Well once the Khaos Brigade attacks, things will get a bit sketchy. You'll find out who your real friends are then,'**_ Ddraig said skeptically.

As Issei continued walking, he put his hands back in his pockets and made his way back to the house. Along the way, the two exorcist girls each clutched onto either one of his arms.

An awkward silence followed as they walked for a good few minutes without saying a word. Finally, Irina broke the tension, "Issei…it's okay that you didn't tell us about God. I forgive you for it."

"Huh?" he turned his head towards the twin-tailed brunette.

"Irina is right. I can't blame you for it either. Don't listen to what that Diodora creep said. We don't resent you as a dragon just because two dragons killed God. You came right after us with Gabriel-sama…" Xenovia added.

"Never think for a second that we could ever hate you for something like that! You're a good person Issei, and God himself would agree! Dragon or not, you're our friend!" Irina said emotionally as she clutched onto him tighter.

The delinquent stopped briefly and spoke, "I shouldn't have left you two alone like that. It was negligent of me. If Gremory hadn't been there to delay Diodora Astaroth…"

"Don't even think about that, Issei! That gross creep is dead and we're okay now!" Irina said as tears began to fall down her face.

He frowned, "I don't know how I'm going to be able to protect you two if something like that happens again. And make no mistake…it will happen again. The devils and other enemies of mine now know that they can get to me if they go after you two or my parents…"

"We'll just never leave your side then," Xenovia said hopefully.

"And die in the crossfire when I'm fighting someone dangerous like that Maou back there? No…there's only two solutions to this problem. The first is you two distance yourselves from me and go your own way once I get rid of Kokabiel," Issei said solemnly.

"What?! But we can't just…" Xenovia was now getting emotional too as tears streaked down her face. She looked away sadly as she tried not to cry.

Irina shook her head, "No! That's crazy! We're not just going to distance ourselves from you because it's dangerous! Gabriel-sama and Heaven protects us too!"

"The other solution…" Issei interrupted their emotional responses causing both girls to go silent, "is that I make you more powerful."

"What? How though?" Irina wondered.

"You mean like training us?" Xenovia asked.

Issei nodded, "There would be training involved…but that's not exactly what I mean. To truly make you powerful, I'd have to turn you both into dragons."

"HUH!?" Irina gawked.

Xenovia looked equally as confused, "That's impossible though…we're humans!"

"You'd still be mostly human, but you'd be part dragon and have dragon powers as well. It wouldn't negate super powerful enemies, but it'd be enough to stop anyone under Maou level from going after you," Issei explained.

"Wait…so you're saying you could actually make us Dragonborns?!" Xenovia perked up with amazement.

Issei nodded, "That's sort of what I had in mind actually…but I know you two care a lot about your religion and all that, so it's not going to offend me if you don't want to go through with it."

"You're a holy dragon who's on the side of Heaven, Issei. Gabriel-sama wouldn't find anything wrong with it if we were similar," Irina said optimistically.

"The angels do seem to like you, and with God dead, I don't really see a downside to this offer," Xenovia said in agreement.

The delinquent smiled at them somewhat surprised, "I wasn't expecting you to agree, but there is something important you should know before you agree to it."

 _'I want to tell them the truth about you, Ddraig,'_ Issei thought distantly.

 _ **'Hopefully it goes well…'**_ Ddraig sighed.

"What is it, Issei?" Xenovia asked curiously.

"I am actually the Red Dragon Emperor…the heavenly dragon Ddraig is soulbound to me and my Longinus Boosted Gear. He's a part of me," Issei explained.

Xenovia and Irina both went wide-eyed as they gave Issei shocked stares.

"So then…one of the dragons that killed God lives inside of you?" Xenovia asked him disbelievingly.

Issei nodded, "Yes, and I have access to his full power in addition to my own."

"Seriously?!" Irina said with hysterical confusion.

"H-How do you have this Longinus though?" Xenovia asked.

"Only someone who is human, or part human can be born with the Longinus sacred gears. I was born with the Boosted Gear and I am the vessel of the Heavenly Dragon of Domination," Issei explained.

A long silence filled the air as the three of them felt a strange wave of emotions from this conversation.

"You deserved to know the truth before committing to this decision. I can completely understand if have any reservations about this now," Issei said slowly after a long pause.

Irina finally broke the tension as she ran in and hugged Issei as hard as possible, "That doesn't matter, Issei! You're you and the death of God isn't something I'd ever hold you accountable for! This doesn't change anything!"

"The fact that you cared enough to tell us that even despite what it meant speaks volumes about your integrity, Issei. This only proves that following you is the right decision. I'll gladly follow you anywhere," Xenovia added as she quickly hugged onto Issei as well.

"So you two seriously want to be dragonborns then?" Issei asked them for confirmation.

"Dragonknight Xenovia Quarta…loyal wife and guardian of the Red Dragon Emperor Issei Hyoudou," Xenovia said cheerily at the idea.

"Wife?! Don't go making bold declarations like that, Xenovia!" Irina almost shrieked as she let go of Issei and pushed Xenovia. The two got into a playful pushing match a moment later.

"I guess it's settled then…my dragonknights," Issei interrupted their brief struggle causing both girls to smile at him anxiously.

Just then, Issei caught a strange sight. There was a puddle behind them. It wasn't particularly suspicious due to the fact that it rained in Japan recently, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy about it, ' _It doesn't smell or look suspicious…but I swear I saw that same puddle a few blocks ago when we were talking with Gremory's people. Wait…could Fountain Girl be using water to spy on me?! Shit…'_

"What's wrong, Issei?" Irina asked when she noticed his alertness.

Staring at the puddle, Issei channeled a bit of magic to envelop it. Irina and Xenovia looked completely confused by his actions until they spotted a figure being ripped from the puddle and onto the street.

The puddle disappeared a moment later, practically evaporating into thin air as the girl inside of it covered her face in embarrassment.

"Who is that?! Was someone spying on us?!" Irina shouted.

"So…you're Fountain Girl I take it? You're really stealthy I'll give you that. I couldn't sense you or smell you, but that's the same exact puddle from earlier," Issei stated as he looked down at the girl.

She was currently looking away from the three of them and was trying her best to conceal her face. Irina and Xenovia immediately moved in to cover her frontside so she couldn't flee.

Fountain Girl looked somewhat familiar to Issei, but he couldn't quite figure out where he had seen her before. She had long purple hair and an ideal frame. Issei knelt down to peel her hands away from her face as he made eye contact with his stalker.

She had orange eyes and looked to be in her late teens. The girl went full scarlet and tried to cover her face again in shame as she looked away from Issei. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't free her hands from Issei's. She looked even more embarrassed by the fact he was holding her wrists.

"So, this is Fountain Girl?!" Irina confirmed as she examined the embarrassed girl struggling to get away.

"She's really pretty for a creepy devil stalker…I wasn't expecting that," Xenovia stated the obvious as she examined the girl as well.

Issei stared at her briefly, "I take it you heard everything we said?"

The girl tried to speak but couldn't for a moment. Issei patiently waited for her to answer him as he tried not to look intimidating.

Finally, she found her voice and answered him, "Yes…I'm sorry."

"Well…you wanted to meet me, so here we are. What's your name, Fountain Girl?" Issei asked her.

"Ingvild…" she answered timidly.

He looked at her curiously, "Ingvild what? Is that your surname or your first name?"

"It's my first name…my last name is Leviathan," she answered fearfully.

Issei looked bewildered by her comment, "Leviathan? Are you related to the Sitri Family?"

"N-no…I'm actually related to the real Leviathan family. I'm half-human though, so I don't have any kinship to the family or any other devils in general. I consider myself more human than devil," she answered.

"How are you able to move around in devil territory undetected? Also, are you a stray?" Issei asked her curiously.

She nodded, "I am a stray…though I technically never had a master. I learned a long time ago how to conceal myself from other devils. It's easier since I'm half human too. They can only tell in close proximity to me and I never get that close to the Student Council or the Occult Research Club."

"Wait…you go to our school?" Xenovia asked confused.

"I guess that explains why you put a letter in my shoe locker," Issei sighed.

"I'm deeply sorry if that embarrassed you, Issei Hyoudou. I never meant to cause you grief," she apologized and bowed her head humbly.

"What should we do about her, Issei? I mean if she overheard everything we said…" Irina trailed off.

"I swear I won't tell anyone! I've kept all of your secrets to myself, Issei-kun!" Ingvild pleaded.

Irina crossed her arms, "Issei-kun huh? You're acting awfully familiar there aren't you?"

"Oh no! I didn't mean to-I…" the girl got flustered again as she almost began to cry.

The delinquent quickly salvaged her from the delirium as he spoke up, "It's okay…call me Issei if you want. You probably know me better than even these two do. I have to ask though…what secrets of mine are you talking about exactly?"

"I already knew you were the Red Dragon Emperor…I also know you like going into the Dimensional Gap to train. That's where you were when your friends were kidnapped," she answered.

' _ **It would seem she has seen you transform with the Balance Breaker,'**_ Ddraig pointed out.

"Why did you keep it a secret?" Issei asked her curiously.

She managed to make eye contact again as she answered, "Because you didn't want anyone to know and I can completely relate to you wanting to keep your heritage a low profile."

"Hmm…so you said you wanted to be friends with me in your letter. Is that also why you didn't tell anyone?" he asked.

Ingvild nodded shyly, "Y-yes, but I…I know you're slow to trust others. I can completely understand if you have no interest in it."

"Why are you so interested in me anyways?" Issei wondered.

She couldn't answer him as she looked away. He was still holding onto her wrists as he tried to make eye contact again. After blushing deeply, she managed to answer, "I want to be like you…"

"Be like me?" he repeated.

"Yes…you live your life without fear. You're not scared of any devil, angel, or god. And yet…you're so kind to people far weaker than you are and you care about your friends. I wasn't exaggerating or lying in my letter…I truly do admire you. It would mean the world to me if we could become friends," the girl explained.

"If you truly feel that way, then I don't have a problem being friends with you. Though, I'd prefer it if you didn't stalk me anymore," Issei said as he let go her wrists finally and stood up.

Ingvild looked at him shocked, "R-Really?!"

"Sure…but just so you know, being friends with me will draw a lot of attention to you. I don't think you'll be able to keep your identity a secret for long if the devils see you with me," Issei explained.

"Then you could train me too and make me stronger…like them?!" Ingvild asked hopefully as she pointed at Irina and Xenovia.

The delinquent chuckled at her optimism, "You want to be a dragon too?"

"Yes! Could I be?!" she said with anxious joy.

"Are you sure it's okay to trust this girl, Issei? We don't even know her…" Xenovia said skeptically.

"I swear I'll be completely and utterly loyal to you. I'll do anything to prove I'm serious!" the purple haired girl declared eagerly.

"She seems serious, but what is she good at exactly?" Irina asked.

"I have a Longinus too…it's called Nereid Kyrie. I can be a strong ally if you help me train to get better with it," Ingvild suggested hopefully.

Xenovia looked surprised, "You have a Longinus? What does it do?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but it can control water from what I've tested. If that's not enough, I also have a lot of devil magic," Ingvild added as eight black wings erupted from her back.

Irina gasped at her, "8 wings?! Jeez…"

"We'll talk about it some more tomorrow, but I'll take you if you're serious," Issei said approvingly to the half-devil girl.

Ingvild blushed heavily as she looked down, "I never expected this would actually happen. I'm so grateful, Issei-kun!"

"Well I guess we should exchange emails and phone numbers so I can keep in touch with you then," he stated.

"I already have your number and your email. I'll text you later…if that's okay?" she smiled hopefully.

 _'Of course she does...'_ Issei mentally sighed.

"Sure, see you around, Ingvild," Issei waved.

"Thanks again for accepting my friendship Issei-kun," she waved back.

 **The Phenex Mansion**

"C'mon, Nii-sama...you've been hiding in your room for over a week now ever since you got out of the hospital! Mom and dad sent me to get you for dinner. They're tired of you just hiding out in here," A drill haired devil girl groaned.

"Go away, Ravel...I'm not hungry," Riser Phenex said distantly as he continued to watch TV in his dark room. He was currently lying on a couch and looked like he hadn't eaten or bathed in days.

"Get ahold of yourself, Riser! You lost a fight...so what?! At least that dragon didn't kill you! You can't just hide out in here forever!" Ravel protested her brother's apathy.

He continued staring at the TV as he responded, "You wouldn't understand, Ravel...I'm a laughing stock to the entire Underworld now. My fiancé ditched me, and some half-breed dragon nearly killed me. I was completely powerless against him...I'll never become a Maou at this rate. I'm just a failure."

"Will you stop feeling sorry for yourself! The rest of the girls in your peerage have been asking me about you! They're all worried, and so am I! At least take a shower...you stink!" Ravel kept complaining.

Riser sighed as he sat up on the couch, "I guess it has been a few days..."

"What the hell are you even watching in here?" Ravel shook her head as she looked at the TV. It was some type of sappy drama reality show much to her confusion. She immediately snatched the TV remote away and switched channels.

"If you're going to lie on your ass all the day, at least watch the news or something!" Ravel sighed.

As the TV changed to the Underworld News channel, both Ravel and Riser went wide-eyed.

"This is breaking news! The mysterious widespread destruction that tore through the Astaroth District just a few hours ago has now been confirmed to be an attack! Many eyewitness testimonies claimed that a dragon was responsible. Palace spell cameras were able to get a picture of this dragon before he broke into the Astaroth Palace!" A devil news anchor exclaimed.

"No...NO! It's him!" Riser said terrified as he fell back on the couch and shook his head. On the TV, there was a closeup picture of Issei in his dragon form as he punched the barrier protecting the Astaroth Palace.

"This dragon has been identified as Issei Hyoudou...many will remember him as the dragon that fought for Lady Rias Gremory in her peerage battle against Lord Riser Phenex. Eyewitnesses claim that the dragon assassinated the heir to the Astaroth Family and was even assisted by a Seraph! Video footage salvaged from the ruins of the palace indicate that Archangel Gabriel was in league with this dragon during the attack," the news anchor continued.

Ravel jaw-dropped, "He assassinated Diodora Astaroth?!"

"We're next! He's coming for me next!" Riser said hysterically as he dove behind the couch and shook his head.

"Lord Sirzechs Lucifer will now make a live public statement about the attack..." the anchor spoke before the TV switched over to Sirzechs speaking.

"I advise everyone to remain calm at this time. The attack was in retaliation to Diodora Astaroth kidnapping the friends of the Dragon Issei Hyoudou. He was working with the Seraph Gabriel to also rescue several holy maidens that the Astaroth heir had abducted. At this time, there is no call for war as the incident was isolated," Sirzechs explained.

"Lucifer-sama!" someone in his press conference tried to get his attention, "is it true the dragon fought against Beelzebub-sama?!"

Sirzechs nodded, "Yes it is...the dragon Issei Hyoudou is incredibly dangerous and powerful. Our estimates suggest he's even more powerful than the Dragon Kings. I would strongly advise that all devils avoid provoking him. He is also under the protection of Heaven, and any act of retaliation against him will start a war."

Riser got back from behind the couch and stared at the TV disbelievingly, "That dragon fought Beelzebub-sama?"

"I guess there's no shame in losing to him now, Nii-sama...it's a miracle he didn't kill you," Ravel said seriously.

"W-What if he comes after me like Diodora?! I'm next! He'll come after me next for insulting him! I need to make amends!" Riser said fearfully.

Ravel shook her head, "Should I say something to Sitri or Gremory about it?"

"N-no...I'm going to go take a shower, Ravel. Be safe baby sister. If he comes after us just hide," Riser said with a thousand meter stare as he slowly walked away in a zombie like state.

 _'Maybe I should talk to that dragon and apologize on Riser's behalf. I certainly don't want our home looking like that...'_ Ravel thought as she stared at the destruction on the news.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I'm on a roll here…it's like I'm a real fanfiction author again. Don't ask me how I wrote this 15 k word chapter in a week...I literally didn't do anything else and I was lucky enough to be off the past three days. So, I threw this chapter out quickly because I was still in a DXD mood and I didn't want to leave you guys on that nasty cliffhanger for too long. *Nervously avoids the gazes from the readers of my other stories* A lot of crazy stuff went down in this chapter that I'll go over now.

We start off with Issei intending to go back to get Red's help, but along the way, he's intercepted by Gabriel. She conveniently knows who is responsible for the kidnapping and offers to get him there quickly. While we're on the topic of Gabriel...Issei choking her out and later using an illusion spell in front of her is totally going to cause some…DRAMA later on as she'll be more adamant about watching him in person. How will Serafall react when she learns that Issei is friends with her infamous angel rival? Don't worry guys...Serafall is coming back soon so relax!

Moving on, Issei breaks into the Underworld and immediately starts torching the Astaroth district without any regard for devils there. I know some people were hoping he'd come in with a portal explosion, but don't you worry…it's still not too late for that in a future chapter hahaha! Upon arriving, Issei is surprised to see Rias and friends there attempting to rescue Asia from Diodora. He swiftly opens up a can of ass-beating on the devil, but during their exchange, Diodora predictably reveals the truth about God's death. Issei proceeds to brutally murder him and he banishes his soul to Crimson Purgatory. We'll be learning more about that in future chapters but rest assured dear readers…Diodora didn't get an easy out.

After killing said devil, the Maou arrive and try to find out what's going on. Issei decides to show off a bit of his power and fights Ajuka so that the devils will get the hint that they can't take him on. Since Ajuka is a super devil, he doesn't actually take Issei seriously…or at least he didn't until he found out that Issei can bypass his Kankara Formula which manipulates reality. Issei does this by using dream powers that he got from Red. Ajuka is super OP and is able to hack reality, but he can't hack fantasy. Speaking of which, a lot of the powers Issei used were things he just created himself. Since it's been established that he's an avid Drag-So-Ball fan, it's not a stretch that he'd copy and create iconic abilities such as Kamehameha, and Final Flash. He even created dragon shouts from Dragon Scrolls (Elder Scrolls). What's next? Susanoo maybe? Keep in mind…there's plenty more where that came from. Wait until you guys see Nightmare Mode. It's called that for a reason...

Eventually, the battle between Issei and Ajuka is stopped and the whole situation gets resolved somewhat diplomatically. Issei returns back to Kuoh along with the Gremory team and actually thanks them for delaying Diodora. They sort of become friends and agree to team up and stop Kokabiel after the political bashlash blows over. But of course, we know things aren't going to go that smoothly…Kokabiel is making his move soon, and shit is REALLY going down then.

As they go home, Issei surprisingly tells Irina and Xenovia the truth that he's the Red Dragon Emperor and gives them the choice on whether or not they want to become dragons. The main highlight at the end, was them catching Fountain Girl. She was indeed Ingvild Leviathan as many people guessed. With these three girls pledging to become Issei's dragon followers, what will happen next?!

To top it off, we get a brief scene with Ravel and Riser seeing Issei's destruction on the news. Will Riser ever recover from his PTSD and is Ravel actually going to apologize to Issei on behalf of the Phenex family? You'll just have to wait and see!

So yeah, that's a wrap for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the action and I hope it wasn't anticlimactic. I know a lot of people were hoping Issei would bust out the Boosted Gear and body everyone in sight, but fear not…that's coming very soon. Now that the entire mythological world is on high alert, everyone is going to know that Issei is the dragon who fought Ajuka Beelzebub. What will the Hero Faction or the Khaos Brigade think when they hear about Issei attacking the Underworld? What will certain gods that fear Ajuka think about Issei's power? Prepare thine self for the Red Dragon Emperor shall soon be revealed to the entire world!

Anyways, as always thanks for reading. Stay tuned for parent teacher day next chapter and all the glorious drama that comes with it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Friends and Family**

 **The Underworld; Devil Capital Lilith**

In the heart of the devil territory within the Underworld, a large gathering of highborn nobles was gathered in a meeting chamber. Three of the four Maou were currently present as well as several representatives from each of the surviving 33 Pillars.

They were currently watching a more detailed version of Issei's attack on the Astaroth territory that hadn't been made available to the widespread population through the news. This detailed footage was primarily a recording of Issei's transformation with four wings.

Ajuka Beelzebub paused the footage as he addressed the nobility, "This dragon, Issei Hyoudou, is far more powerful than we've been led to believe. Right here is brief footage I was able to catch of his transformation through a spell of mine. Unfortunately, the rest of the battle footage was disrupted, but it did catch this much. My battle with him was very disturbing to say the least. He has shown a vast array of unnatural abilities and even after this transformation of his, he didn't appear anywhere near his full power."

"Exactly what is this dragon capable of, Beelzebub-sama? Why does he have four wings, and why didn't you kill him?!" Someone demanded anxiously.

Ajuka shook his head, "Among his powers displayed, we can confirm he has the ability to use portals, cast illusions, and even materialize matter out of his own energy. All of his magic had a strong chaotic taint to it that was far beyond anything I've even seen of other dragons. Killing him would not have been that simple even had we used our full power. That was also a problem because there were many innocent bystanders there that could have been harmed had the fight gone on any longer than it did. In short, it would take a catastrophic battle to put this dragon down or seal him."

"Ajuka is right, but there's something important that we shouldn't overlook here. From what we've seen so far, the dragon Issei only uses the appropriate power necessary to defeat his foes. His battle against Riser Phenex and even Diodora Astaroth were both minor displays of his capabilities compared to the power he unleashed when Ajuka challenged him. It's very possible that he is capable of even more. Risking such a confrontation could lead to widespread destruction and discord," Sirzechs added.

An outburst of arguments and murmuring erupted after his comment as the various nobles debated on these facts. One was quick to voice his concern to the Maou, "Are we seriously under the impression that this dragon is more powerful than even the dragon kings?! Surely if that's true, then it would be foolish to ignore this threat! He's a ticking timebomb!"

"Lord Bael speaks truly! This dragon is a danger to every devil in the Underworld! He murdered my son! If we allow such a brazen act of violence to go unanswered, then he will see us as weak! What's to stop him from killing again?! We're all in danger until this creature is contained or killed!" Lord Astaroth shouted.

"What would you have us do, father? Hunt him down and risk more casualties? Not only is that dragon incredibly powerful, but he has the backing of Heaven as well. Any attempt to retaliate would only lead to full scale war. Diodora's death is certainly tragic, but he brought it upon himself when he started provoking foreign powers and kidnapping holy maidens. While I detest the dragon's actions in murdering him, I can't say that it was unprovoked or undeserved," Ajuka explained with rational coldness.

"He was your brother Ajuka!" Lord Astaroth growled.

"Family or not, you should refer to the Maou by his proper title," the third Maou, Falbium Asmodeus spoke up somewhat lazily.

"I…of course," Lord Astaroth acknowledged after a brief silence.

During this pause, Sirzechs was quick to speak up again, "There's also the matter my younger sister Rias Gremory brought up. Diodora had an illegal number of evil pieces, and he kidnapped a girl under her protection as well. Diodora was hardly an innocent victim in this attack. Issei Hyoudou is very dangerous, but only when he's threatened or challenged. The dragon has never once attacked or threatened my sister and her peerage. He even goes to her school. Sona Sitri can also confirm that the dragon is cooperative when a certain level of respect is given to him."

"With all due respect, Lucifer-sama, you expect us to kiss this dragon's feet and cater to his demands?!" another noble spoke up angrily.

"As opposed to the alternative…yes. Issei Hyoudou made it very clear that he will commit to war with the Underworld should anything like this happen again," Sirzechs replied.

"Heaven is no longer a threat! If they wish to war with us, then we could easily destroy them!" someone boasted pridefully.

Ajuka sighed, "That's not the main problem with your scenario. If we go to war with Heaven, that leaves us vulnerable to other factions that would see us destroyed. The Old Satan Faction still exists, as do other questionable groups. Not to mention, our relations with Heaven have somewhat improved over the centuries. A long-term peace is possible if we reciprocate a diplomatic respect."

"So you want us to all to just ignore this dragon then?! That is unacceptable! The Astaroth palace was razed! Other factions will think we're weak if we don't act!" someone else protested.

A man with golden hair shook his head disapprovingly, "I believe Lucifer-sama and Beelzebub-sama are correct in this matter. The dragon only acts like this when provoked. He could have easily murdered my son, Riser when he fought for Rias Gremory in her Rating Game. He also could have easily killed both the Gremory and Sitri heirs at Kuoh Academy. Leviathan-sama spoke of the dragon's good relations with Sona Sitri and her peerage. Leaving the dragon alone is the wisest course of action."

"Lord Phenex, have you lost your mind?! We all saw what that creature did to your son and his peerage! He brutalized your youngest son in a barbaric manner!" A fiery devil growled as she stood up from her seat.

"Yes, he brutally injured Riser, but he could have easily killed him had he wanted to. This makes it apparent that Issei Hyoudou isn't actively trying to kill devils. The dragon has proven his strength twice now. It would be needlessly foolhardy to tempt his wrath again when he's already more or less peaceful," Lord Phenex countered.

"Spoken like a true coward, Lord Phenex!" the female devil scoffed back.

Lady Phenex who was sitting next to him quickly fired back, "How dare you insult our house and my husband, Lady Agares!"

Many more nobles leapt to their feet as a loud chorus of shouts and arguments began to break out amongst the nobility.

"Enough!" Sirzechs announced loudly causing everyone to go silent and turn towards him.

The red haired Maou shook his head, "Do not provoke, attack, or threaten Issei Hyoudou in any way whatsoever. That is my express order and the wishes of the Maou. If any of you choose to disregard this order, then you will no longer be welcome among this court and we will not protect you. Is that understood?"

"Yes Lucifer-sama," many of the nobles said in nearly perfect unison.

"We will adjourn for now until the nobility can calm itself…" Ajuka added as he gave a dismissing wave to the riled-up court.

After everyone dispersed into their various cliques to discuss their approval or disapproval of the situation, several people walked up towards the paused screen of Issei in his four-winged dragon form.

Among them included Lord and Lady Phenex, Lord Sitri, and Sirzechs himself. Lord Phenex glanced over at the red-haired Maou and sighed, "I don't like the idea of letting this dragon do whatever he wants, but the alternative is certainly much worse. We're very lucky he chose not to kill my son, Riser. Any further attempt to provoke this dragon could lead to the Phenex family being his next target. My daughter, Ravel, has already expressed grave concern over the matter."

"I appreciate your support in our decision, Lord Phenex. You have my apologies about how the Rating Game turned out with Rias and Riser but know that I still like your family a great deal," Sirzechs nodded diplomatically at the golden-haired phoenix devil.

"You're too kind Lucifer-sama," Lady Phenex bowed her head politely.

"It's hard to think that both of my daughters have had personal dealings this…monster." Lord Sitri changed the subject as he pointed at Issei's picture.

Sirzechs sighed, "My sister seems to like him, and so do your daughters apparently. The Lady Serafall Leviathan even claims to be friends with Issei Hyoudou. I'm counting on their good disposition to help ease unnecessary tension between us."

"What?!" Lord Sitri gawked at Sirzechs disbelievingly, "I was aware that Serafall was on good terms with this dragon, but I can hardly believe that they're friends. How could she have ever become friends with a bloodthirsty dragon like this?"

"I spoke with Sona and Rias about Issei before this attack the other day. Both of them have confirmed that he's not inherently violent or bloodthirsty. Oddly enough, he seems more interested in his human academics than anything else. A dragon of his power with no desire to exert it is most certainly a peculiar sight. You'll be interested to know that I asked him if he would be willing to look after Rias and Sona as well as their peerages…he agreed." Sirzechs responded as he turned his head towards Lord Sitri.

The man's eyes widened disbelievingly, "Really? Even after murdering the Astaroth heir, he agreed to look after Rias, Sona, and their peerages? Why?"

"He is not unreasonable, and given the proper respect, he could make a decent ally. It is my belief that Issei Hyoudou simply wants us to respect his autonomy," the red-haired man replied.

"The dragon actually agreed to protect them?!" Lady Phenex gasped.

Sirzechs nodded, "Yes. A small measure of humility and respect goes a long way with dragons. I spoke with Tannin about it after your son's Rating Game. He told me the same thing…you won't win a dragon over unless he respects you."

"Do you suspect anyone will actually disobey your command, Lucifer-sama?" Lord Phenex asked Sirzechs a moment later.

The Maou sighed, "I'm not as concerned about any of the pillars disobeying the order…I'm more worried about a devil from the Old Satan Faction attacking him and Issei Hyoudou not knowing the difference us and them. It should be imperative that he be made aware of the distinction in case they use this opportunity to trick him into attacking us."

Before anyone else could say another word, a voice interrupted them, "Otou-sama, Okaa-sama…"

Both Lord and Lady Phenex turned around when they spotted Ravel standing behind them. Lady Phenex was quick to address her, "Ravel? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask your permission for something…" Ravel began as she took a deep gulp.

"What is it, dear?" Lady Phenex asked her daughter.

"Can Riser and I…umm…can we go on a trip?" Ravel asked carefully.

Lord Phenex rose a brow, "A trip? Are you saying you finally convinced your brother to leave his bedroom and go back outside?"

"Y-yeah…he just wants to get away from the Underworld for a while. I offered to go with him just so he'd be alright. Is it alright if we're gone for a few days?" Ravel asked anxiously.

"Hmph…I'm just glad the boy is finally getting back to normal. Where were you two going to go exactly?" Lord Phenex wondered.

The blonde girl looked away nervously, "Umm…Nii-sama kind of wanted to keep it a secret. He doesn't want anyone bothering him for a little while. I think he's hoping to go regain his mojo or something like that."

"In his state, is it really wise to let him wander off somewhere secretly right now?" Lady Phenex shook her head disapprovingly.

"He'll be okay. I'm going with him to make sure of it. I'm certain the rest of his peerage will want to go as well. Riser onii-sama will be fine," Ravel said reassuringly.

"Very well, Ravel…that's fine with me. You're a sweet sister for doing this for your brother," Lord Phenex nodded.

Ravel nodded her head as she turned to leave, "Thanks…we'll be back in a few days!"

 **Phenex Mansion**

"I'm not doing that, Ravel…" Riser said shaking his head again.

"C'mon! I already convinced mom and dad to let us go on a vacation for a few days! You need to confront this problem, nii-sama!" Ravel complained.

"You're crazy, Ravel…he'll kill me if he ever sees me again. I don't want to end up like Diodora Astaroth! Not even his brother could kill that dragon! If we even look at him funny, our family's next!" Riser said shaking his head.

Ravel sighed over-dramatically, "Well, if you don't go, then I'm going by myself!"

"W-what?! You can't do that!" Riser gasped.

"Yes, I can…and I will too!" Ravel shot back childishly as she put her hands on her hips.

Riser shook his head, "What are you trying to prove, Ravel? He'll kill you! Then he'll kill me and the rest of our family!"

"Really? Because last I checked, he didn't kill any of your peerage or even you during the Rating Game. Even dad mentioned that at the Pillar Meeting with all the Maou. Don't you think that's a little odd considering how easily that dragon murdered Diodora Astaroth? All I'm saying is an apology might go a long way here. You said you wanted to make amends, right?! Here's your chance!" Ravel countered.

"I can't face him again…what do you expect me to say?!" Riser shook his head.

Ravel shrugged, "Anything…I just want you to get over this slump you've been in. Even if he tells us off, at least you'll have faced him again. You'll never advance further as a devil unless you get over this weird depression and dragon phobia of yours."

"Pfft…I guess I don't really have anything to lose here. Worst case scenario is he kills me and the embarrassment of the Phenex family can finally disappear," Riser said distantly.

"Oh will you stop feeling sorry for yourself, please?! Just do it, Riser! If he's willing to go to school with the Sitri and Gremory peerages, then he's not going to kill us for trying to apologize to him!" Ravel ranted logically.

"Fine…but it's just going to be us. I don't want to make a big production out of this," Riser sighed.

Ravel crossed her arms, "You sure? If we don't bring the rest of the peerage, then I don't have any guarantees you'll go through with it. If they know we're going, then you'll have to face them if you chicken out. Not to mention, I already told mom and dad that they were coming with us on a _'trip'_. It'd look a little suspicious if we went on a vacation without your servants wouldn't it?"

Riser sighed, "You're both really smart and really stupid at the same time, Ravel…but maybe you're right. Nothing is going to change if I don't try to deal with this."

"If you can't say anything, then just let me do the talking. You just being there would be enough to make him take it far more seriously. Still, try to think of something to say," Ravel tried to drive her point home.

"So you didn't tell mother and father about where we were actually going then?" Riser confirmed.

Ravel nodded, "Of course I didn't tell them! You think mom would let you near that guy after what happened?!"

"Well…let's get this over with then," Riser said with noticeable doubt in his voice.

"C'mon Riser, we'll get it over with, and then we'll go do something fun, yeah?!" Ravel tried to cheer him up.

 **Issei's House**

Issei awoke the next day not to his typical alarm clock much to his concern. He looked over at the clock confused as he realized it was nearly 11 A.M.

' _What the hell?! Did I oversleep? Ah whatever…I need a break from school today anyways. We got that stupid parent teacher crap tonight. At least Red will be there though. That ought to be awesome!'_ Issei thought.

As he rested his head back down on the pillow, he then realized that he wasn't alone on his bed. Both Irina and Xenovia were clutched on either side of him tangled in his bedsheets. Irina was wearing some type of nightgown and Xenovia was in her underwear and a t-shirt.

' _Did they spend the night in here with me? I guess I can't blame them. After that kidnapping, they probably feel safer sleeping next to me. Still…not bad waking up next to two pretty girls. I'm glad they're both okay…'_ Issei thought as he looked between the sleeping girls.

Deciding not to disturb them, he carefully freed himself from their holds as he got out of bed. Issei yawned as he picked up his phone and checked it a moment later.

' _28 unread messages…seriously?!'_ he sighed as he put some casual clothes on and walked into his living room. Issei sat down on the couch a moment later as he began to read over them. 6 of them were from his parents saying they would be home in two days and that their flight back got delayed due to bad weather. He made sure to send an acknowledgement response to them before checking the other messages.

' _I seriously need to come up with a better solution for keeping mom and dad safe. It's not like I can train them,'_ Issei thought for a moment.

' _ **Maybe you should move out of your parents' house and get your own place? Something a bit more isolated so that they won't be noticed or bothered by all the devils and angels that frequent your house,'**_ Ddraig suggested.

Issei thought for a moment, _'Hmm…that's a good idea. Though mom and dad have been a bit concerned about me never being around the past few months. I shouldn't get a place too far away from them. I know mom will want to visit. Just something far away enough to negate any weirdos showing up around them. I can't even imagine how mom or dad would react to seeing all the girls that have come to the door recently…especially Kalawarner in that soapland getup she wears. Aww shit…I hope the neighbors don't say anything weird to them.'_

' _ **Do you have any other ideas that might work in protecting your parents?'**_ Ddraig wondered.

' _I think I'll create some defensive ward spells around the house and set it up with a warning beacon so I can easily use a portal to arrive here if they need help. Also, with my new house being a reasonable distance away, my parents can avoid all the weird supernatural traffic that follows me. That just leaves me with what kind of place to get. It should definitely be big enough to train the girls at, but they'll probably just want to live there if I get something with a bunch of bedrooms and what not. I suppose that's fine, but I guess it means I bought Irina's old house for nothing,'_ Issei brainstormed.

Ddraig chimed in with gruff wisdom, _**'I'm certain you can find a use for it.'**_

' _Actually…I can outfit it as a tracking station that can alert my phone when and if my parents ever come to visit me. It would also work well in setting up a portal location to gateway back there quickly,'_ Issei was already beginning to come up with plans.

He pushed those current musings aside as he began to delve into the remaining 22 text messages.

 _4:37 A.M. [My heart is beating so fast that I can't even sleep right now. I can't believe you accepted my friendship, but I'm so happy that you did! This is Ingvild btw, but I'm sure you figured that out already.]_

 _4:39 A.M. [I guess you're probably asleep right now, but I'm so excited to finally text you! Do you know how surreal it's been having your email for this long and never messaging you until tonight? Part of me always wondered how you would react to it.]_

 _4:40 A.M. [I just realized something really stupid…I could have texted you instead of writing you a letter. LOL, how embarrassing. I guess I never thought of that, but a random text just seems more impersonal. It might have come across as a prank. Still I suppose it could have saved you from some embarrassment at school. Sorry again for all the rumors it started about you!]_

 _4:51 A.M. [You're probably really tired…I hope to see you at school tomorrow! Btw, I'm kind of intimidated by some of your friends, so don't mind me if I'm a bit shy tomorrow.]_

' _She's like the complete opposite of Serafall but has some of the same quirks. They're both equally as weird though. Two Leviathans now…at this point I wouldn't even be surprised if a third one just appeared out of nowhere and tried to kill me,'_ Issei laughed.

 _5:01 A.M. [You certainly know how to impress a girl; I'll give you that. Teaming up with Gabriel though…that seems really strange even for you. I have some bad news for you Issei…I found out that Diodora Astaroth, the devil shitbag that you killed, was actually part of the Khaos Brigade. We'll talk more about it later in person, but you've turned heads all across the board now…and I don't just mean devils, angels, and other dragons.]_ Vali texted him next.

 _5:03 A.M. [By the way, Issei, I managed to catch a picture of Kuroka's expression when I showed her the Underworld news. Have a look at this…]_ Attached to the bottom of the text was a picture of Kuroka looking at a TV with a petrified expression.

Issei actually burst out laughing at it, _'I can't believe Vali got a picture of that. Maybe now that cat girl will think twice about turning her nose up at me. She's still on my shit list for that stunt she pulled with the little yokai fox girl. Wait…is Vali spending the night with her or something?'_

 _5:06 A.M. [Also, I thought you might like this.]_ To Issei's complete disbelief, Vali sent him a selfie of her in casual clothes. She was dressed rather 'cool' in his opinion with leather chaps over her pants, a green V-neck shirt, and a leather jacket. A chain hung from her belt as well. She was giving a peace sign pose, and in the background, he saw Tiamat passed out on the bed wearing blue lingerie. The funniest part about the picture was the cute little cartoon dragons on Tiamat's bedsheets.

 _5:07 A.M. [She's still asleep, but I can't wait to see how she reacts to the news. I gave her your number the other day too…enjoy.]_

' _Oh shit…'_ Issei thought already imagining some of the next few messages would be from her.

 _5:48 A.M. [I know you're still asleep, Issei, but I just wanted to tell you that I'll be watching after you and your friends much closer from now on. It's a safety precaution of course, and I don't want to let you down again. Don't be surprised if you see me around a bit more often!]_ a text from Gabriel came with a wink emoji.

' _She probably figured out I had illusion magic after that move I pulled on Ajuka Beelzebub. Training the girls will be a bit difficult with her snooping around, but that also guarantees them some protection as well. I'll see what I can do to make that work in my favor…'_ Issei thought over the possibilities.

 _6:02 A.M. [ISSEI-CHAN! I heard you attacked the Underworld! Is everything okay?!]_ a message from none other than Serafall was filled with emojis.

' _Oh damn…I haven't even thought about how Serafall was going to take this. I haven't seen her in a while. I feel kind of bad for her. She defended me to the other Maou and then I go and kill Diodora and torch a district. Well…that's why she can't actually be my girlfriend. At least we didn't get too close before this happened,'_ Issei thought rationally as he tried to dismiss his concerns over Serafall.

 _6:03 A.M. [Are you still asleep right now?! Please message me as soon as you can! I'm worried about you!]_ another message followed.

' _She's worried about me? I attacked her people though…'_ Issei thought shaking his head.

 _6:13 A.M. [I just finished watching Sirzy-chan's public statement about the attack. I'm so sorry your friends were kidnapped, Issei-chan. I would have killed Diodora too if he would have done that to my sister or one of my peerage members! He's despicable and even his brother had to have realized that. I'm so relieved that Aju-chan didn't hurt you either! I would have never forgiven him if he did! I'm amazed you fought him though! My Issei-chan is even stronger than I thought. Next time call me though! I would have gladly backed you up and I wouldn't have let Aju-chan fight you either! He'd have to go through me if he wanted to lay a hand on you!]_

' _Wow…Serafall is such a sweet person. I can still hardly believe she's a Maou. She said she would have backed me up. Hmm, I never expected something like that.'_ Issei thought distantly. While the idea of Serafall helping him did seem nice, it wouldn't have conveyed the message he was trying to send to the Maou…and that was that they couldn't finesse him with their bullshit. Serafall's help would have been sincere, but they would have seen him as weak if he relied on her to rescue his friends. At least in the case of Gabriel, it showed that he was above having to rely on any devil politically.

 _6:16 A.M. [There's something that really bothered me about the whole thing though. The news said that the Archangel Seraph Gabriel was there helping you…and that you were allied with the Heavens! Is that true?!]_ this text was filled with worried and angry face emojis.

 _6:18 A.M. [Gabriel might have bigger boobs than me, but don't be taken in by her false charms, Issei-chan! How did she convince you to side with the angels?! She better not try to claim you either! I'll fight her if she does! She has no right to take you for herself!]_

' _What? Serafall doesn't like Gabriel?'_ Issei thought curiously.

 _6:20 A.M. [I just realized something! She could have been spying on you this entire time! Damn her! I'll challenge her to a fight and put an end to that!]_ Serafall continued.

 _6:21 A.M. [She's my eternal rival and I'll never let her take you away from me!]_

 _6:21 A.M. [I…I mean that came off a little possessive. I'm not saying you're mine to keep. I just mean we're really good friends and I'm trying to protect you!)_

 _6:22 A.M. [Oh no…I should have worded that better. This is so awkward! Please don't take it the wrong way, Issei-chan! I just care about you.]_

 _6:22 A.M. [I mean your well-being! Anyways, I'll see you at the parent teacher night hopefully! Don't worry about any devils coming after you either! I'll kick anyone's ass if they even dream about doing something bad to you!]_ Serafall messaged with a winky face emoji.

Issei took a deep breath, _'Serafall is going to be there too? Oh man…this might actually be really awkward tonight. Still, I guess it wouldn't hurt to catch up with her for a few minutes. The fact that she was worried about me is surprising. I'm glad she still considers me a friend though.'_

 _6:54 A.M. [Of all the people you had to stand up to, you chose Ajuka?! Jeez, Issei…you're both a fearless badass and a complete moron! Granted, I totally understand your anger since that piece of shit Diodora kidnapped your human friends. I heard some rumors that you have four wings?! Is that true?! I'm dying to see that for myself! Btw, you should know that everyone in the Underworld knows who you are now…and I mean EVERYONE!]_ A message that was presumably from Tiamat stated.

 _6:59 A.M. [Sirzechs Lucifer said on the news that you're theorized to be above Dragon King level in terms of power. I guess that explains why you gave me a domination stare a couple weeks ago. You might have been concealing your power, but you couldn't hide your dominance or your pride huh? That might explain why Crom Cruach didn't try to kill you too. I always knew you were at least as powerful as I am, and now it's confirmed. You definitely belong with me…]_ Tiamat followed up.

' _What? Belong with her? Don't tell me she's going to start pursuing me now.'_ Issei cocked his head confused by her wording.

' _ **Don't worry, Issei. The moment she learns about you being the Sekiryuutei, she will just try to kill you instead,'**_ Ddraig commented.

 _'As if that makes it any better._ _I imagine it won't be long. It's kind of a shame that I have to be enemies with Tiamat and Vali though. They can be annoying, but I really don't want to kill them. Vali's got some fucked up priorities and Tiamat is just a yandere dragon. They're weird, but they're not inherently bad people. Unfortunately, one way or another, I'll have to fight them eventually. I know I can win, but if they both have one of those snakes from Ophis, then it'll be really difficult to beat them without killing them,'_ Issei sighed.

' _ **It's inevitable. If you get rid of them both, then you won't have to worry about any dragon rivals other than Crom Cruach,'**_ Ddraig pointed out.

Issei shook his head, _'That's a last case scenario. Killing other dragons seems pointless to me. I just don't understand what they both hope to achieve by being in the Khaos Brigade. Vali wants power and revenge, but what does Tiamat want? Did Ophis coerce them into joining? I feel like I'm missing part of the story here. Tiamat is in no danger of being sealed into a sacred gear...especially since the Maou trust her.'_

' _ **Tiamat seems concerned about the waning dragon population and has a priority for survival and freedom. Maybe she hopes that by following Ophis, it can lead to the betterment of her own power and Dragon-kind in general. There's also the fact that she and Vali knew they could find the Sekiryuutei through Ophis as well,'**_ Ddraig theorized.

' _Tiamat follows the strongest. Vali and Ophis are both more powerful than her without a doubt. Maybe she feels a greater sense of racial identity by working with them even if it jeopardizes her own safe position in the Underworld? It also seems likely that she's aware of things that the devils don't know. I doubt she would betray them unless she actually had some idea of what the Khaos Brigade was capable of,'_ Issei added.

' _ **Regardless of how you feel on the matter, you'll have to fight them and a lot of other people from the Khaos Brigade…especially if they're going after Great Red,'**_ Ddraig noted.

' _True enough…I'll cross that bridge when we come to it,'_ Issei sighed.

 _10:55 A.M._ _[I got this number from my sister. This is Sona Sitri. I apologize for sending you a message on your phone without asking, Hyoudou-kun, but I thought you should know that Riser Phenex and his sister came by to talk to me earlier. They were asking me where you lived. Please don't freak out or kill them. I didn't sense any ill intentions.]_

Issei immediately started texting Sona back on his phone, _[What?! You told those people where I live?! Why are they coming over here?!]_

A few seconds passed before Issei got a response, _[They wouldn't say, but they assured me that they were not here to provoke you in any way.]_

 _[How long ago was this?]_ he asked immediately.

 _[Fifteen minutes ago.]_ Sona messaged back.

Issei sighed heavily, _'What the hell? What could they possibly want with me?'_

A moment later, his doorbell rang. He already shook his head as he dreadfully approached it. The delinquent calmly opened the door after taking a deep breath and looked outside. As expected, he saw Riser and Ravel Phenex. What he wasn't expecting though was his entire peerage.

Before he could even take in their reactions or theorize on why all of them would possibly be there, he overheard one of his neighbors talking, "That hooligan Hyoudou boy invites a lot of girls into his house. What must his poor parents think?"

' _Yeah, we're house hunting later tonight, Ddraig…and I'm also going to find a way to mind wipe my neighbors. Maybe I'll have Gremory do it…she said she still owed me,'_ Issei thought as he briefly saw his neighbors shuffle out of his line of sight.

' _ **Sounds like a plan to me,'**_ Ddraig chuckled at Issei's cringing.

During his brief mental musings, Issei didn't realize that he had been awkwardly silent to the Phenex devils now in front of his door. They all looked noticeably anxious and some a bit fearful as the dragon finally looked at them with curious intensity.

Focusing his attention on Riser directly, Issei finally spoke, "Sitri sent me a text and said you were looking for me. You better have a good reason for being here. What do you want?"

Riser looked down for a moment as he tried to find some measure of resolve. None of the girls in his peerage looked like they knew what to say either. After another awkward silence, Ravel finally answered, "My brother, Riser, wanted to apologize to you. We're here to make amends…"

"Huh?" Issei deadpanned as his eyes widened disbelievingly.

"We all saw the news…we saw what happened to Diodora Astaroth. Seeing that made me realize how easily you could have killed us in the Rating Game. We have no wish to be on bad terms with you and we're here on behalf of the Phenex family to offer our sincerest apologies," Ravel followed up as she glanced over at Riser and nudged him. It looked like she was trying to encourage him to say something.

Issei crossed his arms as he looked at Ravel, "Is this some kind of joke? You're seriously here to apologize to me?"

"It's not a joke, Issei Hyoudou," Riser finally found his resolve as he looked up and spoke, "the only joke is me and my stupid ego for thinking it was a good idea to pick a fight with a dragon. I…I've never actually encountered one in battle before you. It's easy for devils to think we're the top of the food chain, but that's not the case is it? There's a reason every faction in the world fears dragons. My sister was right…you could have easily murdered every one of us, and you didn't. Clearly you have no concerns about the repercussions of killing devils considering what you did to Diodora. That left me wondering…why didn't you kill any of us?"

"I don't know…you probably would have died without your Phenex regeneration. But to be honest, I guess it's because you didn't do anything to personally wrong me. Other than your queen for destroying my uniform and you being a complete tool, I didn't really hate you guys. Hell, the whole reason I was in that Rating Game was so Sitri would enroll my friends at Kuoh Academy. I wasn't even going to do it until you started shit talking me. As for Diodora Astaroth…I killed him because he kidnapped my friends and threatened to defile them," Issei shrugged.

"Diodora did that!? Why?" Ravel asked curiously.

"He's a complete fool for even attempting that," Riser's queen, Yubelluna, shook her head.

"He assumed I wouldn't be able to find him and said that even if I could, he was politically protected from me retaliating. He was counting on his big brother, Beelzebub to protect him too. That didn't stop me. I murdered that prick for kidnapping my friends and to make an example out of him. The reason I didn't murder you guys is because I didn't really have a reason to. Riser, you're a complete douchebag, but that only deserved a brutal ass-beating. Diodora's actions deserved torture and death." Issei elaborated.

"Let me get this straight…you fought in the Rating Game just so your friends could get enrolled in your school?! Who are these friends anyways, and why was Diodora interested in kidnapping them?" Ravel asked inquisitively.

Issei sighed, "They're two exorcists…regular humans attached to the church. From what I learned, Diodora's entire peerage was made out of former nuns and what not. He mentioned something about adding them to his collection. The guy had a fetish for raping holy maidens and converting them into devils."

"Seriously?! Diodora was like that? He always seemed nice when I saw him…" Ravel trailed off disbelievingly.

"I never trusted the guy…but it's still disturbing to hear he was like that," Riser managed to speak again.

Issei crossed his arms as he stared at Riser for a moment, "I have to admit, I don't really know how to react to this. I never expected you would come near me again unless it was for revenge or something. Usually beating sense into people doesn't work."

"I won't lie to you…this isn't wholly genuine sincerity. It's more out of fear to be completely honest. Please just forget everything I said to you and don't attack my family. I'll gladly stay out of your way and encourage other devils to do so as well," Riser responded.

"Just the fact that you had the balls to show up here and apologize is enough for me man. I'm honestly amazed you even would. That kind of humility deserves respect…especially considering you're a devil. For that alone, I'll gladly honor your request. We're cool now," Issei replied with calm approval.

Riser looked at Issei confused, "You're a very unusual person, Issei Hyoudou. I find it bizarre that a dragon of your power isn't more relevant in the mythological world. You yourself are very prideful, but you live below the radar for some reason. Why?"

"To be honest, it's because I didn't want devils, angels, and whoever else to bother me in my life. I only wanted power so I could be a true dragon and live free," Issei explained distantly.

"Why do you go to Kuoh Academy then if you want to avoid devils?" Riser asked curiously.

Issei shrugged, "I don't know, maybe because I live in this town and it's convenient. I'd transfer to Kyoto, but it's probably full of yokai and what not. The devils might claim to have 'territory' in this part of the earth, but that's not going to stop me from going where I want."

"I suppose a being of your power has nothing to fear from devils or angels anyway. Why do the angels like you though?" Riser wondered.

Seeing his neighbors starting to spy on him through their windows, Issei facepalmed. He glanced at the 16 members devils in front of him and sighed, "My neighbors are staring, come inside and we'll finish talking alright?"

All of them looked surprised by Issei's invitation into his house and slowly took his offer as the dragon stepped aside and let them enter.

 _ **'This is bizarre…you're letting them into your house?'**_ Ddraig asked.

 _'The guy's apologizing to me, Ddraig…I'm not going to be a petty douche and just tell him to fuck off,'_ Issei explained rationally.

After all 16 devils were in Issei's house, he closed the door and addressed them again, "You guys can sit down if you want."

Reluctantly, about 10 of the girls in Riser's peerage sat down on Issei's two couches. Riser, Ravel, and a couple of the others remained standing. Among them included Siris, Xuelan, Isabela, and some of Riser's pawns.

Ravel looked around at Issei's house curiously, "You live in this tiny house?"

"I'm probably going to upgrade soon, but yeah. I imagine you guys live in a castle or a mansion, right?" Issei asked.

"We live in the Phenex Mansion. It's an eyrie-like Castle in the mountains of the Underworld," Ravel answered.

"An eyrie? So your castle is like an eagle's nest you mean? I suppose it makes sense phoenixes would live like birds," Issei chuckled briefly.

Ravel looked like she wanted to pipe off, but quickly remembered who she was talking to, "Yes, it's sort of like that."

Xuelan walked over and looked at a picture on the wall of a younger Issei with his parents. It was a picture of them on vacation at Hawaii. The Chinese devil girl stared at it curiously, "Are these your parents?"

"My human parents…yeah. Please don't snoop around," Issei replied briefly. Xuelan immediately walked away and back towards the living room couches.

Riser glanced at the picture as Xuelan passed him, "Which one of them is the dragon."

"They're both human…I became a dragon through different means which is honestly none of your business. Make sure the rest of your devil friends know to never touch my parents or I'll murder every last person in the Underworld," Issei said darkly.

Many of them flinched from Issei's hostile threat. Riser nodded immediately, "I would never dare to attack anyone you consider kin."

"The Maou had a meeting about you earlier today. Lucifer-sama ordered every devil in the Underworld to leave you alone. If any devil does try anything, just know that they're not with us," Ravel fearfully added.

Issei crossed his arms, "Yeah, you're talking about the Old Satan Faction, right?"

"Y-yes…what do you know about them?" Ravel asked.

"I know they're a bunch of assholes, and I know they might think I'm stupid enough to attack your faction instead of theirs. Trust me…I'll know the difference," Issei said with stoicism.

Despite his coldness, Ravel let out a sigh of relief. Riser looked down for a moment as he spoke again, "I guess your parents being human might explain why you befriend and protect weaker beings."

"I'm friends with a lot of people. Angels, devils, dragons, and humans. I don't care what faction they're in or how famous or irrelevant they are. You can't live your life behind labels and titles. People that care too much about that crap are all a bunch of fakes anyway. None of that means anything to me. People who I like, deserve my respect because I know that they genuinely like me back. I also live humbly so I can get people to like me for who I am. If everyone knew how strong I was, they'd be kissing my ass out the gates and I wouldn't be able to tell who was genuine and who wasn't. Think about it from your position for a moment, Riser. How many people truly had your back after I beat the shit out of you and knocked your pride into the ground?" the brunette stated.

Riser's eyes went wide for a moment as he contemplated the question. He looked away shamefully, "Not many…in fact I turned into a laughing stock. Even my own peerage thinks less of me now. When I rewatched the battle in the hospital, I heard what you said to Yubelluna. You were right…nobody has looked at me the same ever since my humiliating defeat. I can't even take pride in my own strength anymore, because I'm a failure."

"Riser-sama, that's not true!" Yubelluna tried to reassure him.

He quickly interrupted her, "It is true, Yubelluna. None of you respect me anymore because I'm weak."

Issei crossed his arms as he watched several other girls try to voice their opinions on the matter.

"Riser-sama, we never once thought lesser of you for the outcome of the battle!" Siris added emotionally.

"Issei Hyoudou was able to fight a Maou! You're not weak for losing to him, Riser-sama!" Xuelan said strongly.

"Onii-sama, stop feeling sorry for yourself…this is embarrassing." Ravel cringed.

Issei let several of the others speak before he himself finally commented, "It's only when we're at our lowest that we know who our real friends are. All the devils that made fun of you for losing to me, don't actually care about you. Your peerage on the other hand does…forget that they're not high-class or pure-breed devils. They're still with you and they still care. Maybe you should see people for who they are and not what they are."

' _I can't believe I'm playing therapist to Riser Phenex of all people…"_ Issei thought to himself.

' _ **It's rare for a high-class devil to humble himself like this…I think he did learn his lesson,'**_ Ddraig replied.

"Until recently, I never would have believed that kind of perspective was possible. Though humiliation taught me a lot about myself and my peers. I think you're right, Issei Hyoudou…" Riser nodded understandingly.

"I have a question for you, Riser…what exactly is your goal in life?" Issei asked.

Riser perked up from his distant staring as he thought for a moment. He shook his head and laughed weakly, "You'll laugh at this…but I always wanted to be a Maou."

"Why?" the dragon responded immediately.

"Well, to start, I'm the youngest of three sons in the Phenex Family. Ravel and I are the youngest children. I will never inherit the family house as I am not the heir. I don't have the fame my oldest brother, Ruval, does either. I was practically invisible until my undefeated Rating Game streak," Riser began.

"Middle child syndrome, huh? Is that why you act like a tool?" Issei interjected.

"I suppose you could say that, but there's more to it. I act brazen and prideful so people will acknowledge me as more than what I am. My success in the Rating Games started giving me a big head, I guess. I truly believed I was stronger than all the young devils except Sairaorg. I thought I could eventually become a Maou and earn the true respect of the Underworld. Since I could never inherit the Phenex House, I could at least become a Maou. Even marrying Rias Gremory would have elevated my status to something of worth in the eyes of the nobility and my parents. Now I'm just destined to mediocrity and obscurity. Riser Phenex is a joke now." Riser continued.

Issei rolled his eyes at him disbelievingly, "Fuck those people, man. That's a dumb reason to get stronger. I don't know why devils feel like they have to get strong to impress others. Becoming a Maou just so they'll acknowledge you is retarded. Get stronger for your own sake…and for your real friends. I promise that the moment you stop letting other people's opinions define you is the moment you'll actually have real pride in who you are."

Riser's peerage all looked a bit anxious and surprised by Riser's confession and humility. None of them dared to interrupt at they stared at their master. He couldn't find the words to say as he looked away from them. It looked like he was trying not to cry much to Issei's disbelief.

"Do you think it's possible I could become a Maou if I had the right reason?" Riser finally managed to speak again after regaining control of his emotions.

"Honestly, yes, but even if you don't then who cares? It's a useless title. I think you should focus more on being who you want to be, rather than living your life for people that don't give a shit about you. Get stronger to protect your sister, your family, and your peerage over there. You're already on the right path now considering you were willing to admit your mistakes. Dedicate your life to a pure goal and ignore every naysayer along the way. If you actually become a Maou for that reason and through hard work, then I'll respect the hell out of you," Issei lectured.

After a moment of astonishment, Riser stared at Issei, "I misjudged you a great deal. You're right…about everything. I have a lot to learn as a devil and as a man."

"Don't take this as me acting like I know what's best for anyone. I'm not perfect either. All I'm saying is that you'll have much greater success and pride if your purpose is pure and true. That's what being a true dragon is all about. I see no reason why you can't live that way either," the delinquent concluded.

Riser nodded approvingly, "I appreciate your words, Issei Hyoudou…I will take them to heart."

"If you're serious about all of this, then we could be friends too, I guess. Assuming you don't have a problem with a renegade dragon punk like me," Issei chuckled.

"Even after all of this, you think we could be friends?" Riser said disbelievingly.

Issei shrugged, "That's up to you, but I already like you a lot more just for apologizing and manning up to me. I respect you more now than I do the current Maou if that's any indication of where I stand on the matter."

"We'll see how it goes then, but I'm grateful for your respect, Issei Hyoudou," Riser nodded.

"You guys can call me Issei if you want. Everyone already does," the delinquent replied casually.

"I have a question, Issei. What are your goals exactly? You were mentioning that you want to be a 'true dragon' and I was wondering what you meant by it. Is it just a mindset, or do you also want to become a full-fledged dragon instead of being a half-breed?" Ravel interjected curiously.

The delinquent chuckled, "It is a mindset, but it's not something I can easily explain. To be a true dragon is live free and powerful. Most dragons in the world are either serving someone or they're in sacred gears. That's not a life I intend to live."

Riser tilted his head for a moment, "So you just want to live a peaceful and free life?"

"Sort of…like I said, it's complicated to explain. Still, that's why I just live away from all the politics. Pedigree and ass-kissing is all politics are. You're all devils, so I can't blame you for living that way, but I refuse to be anyone's pet or peon. If that gets me killed then, so be it. I'll die proud of who I am and what I believe in," Issei explained.

"That makes a lot of sense. I don't know much about dragons, but come to think of it, I rarely ever see one of great power that isn't a servant of someone. From your perspective, it would make sense why you wouldn't want to be a lower tier in someone else's hierarchy. You're powerful so you can be free," Riser replied understandingly.

With the tension now comfortably dissipated, Xuelan decided to speak to Issei again, "I apologize for my rude behavior towards you in the Rating Game. I thought you were some weird pervert."

"It's all good…I sort of am, but I keep that on the down low," Issei laughed briefly causing Xuelan's face to redden with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry I burned your uniform," Yubelluna added.

"It's over now, so don't sweat it," Issei smirked.

"I am curious about something, Issei…why are you aligned with the angels if you don't believe in politics?" Riser asked.

The dragon sighed, "That's a long story…the seraph Gabriel was sort of looking after my human friends, Irina and Xenovia. They came to this town looking for Excalibur fragments that the church and the Fallen Angels were gathering. Gabriel said she was interested in being allies with me and offered to look after all of us. I sort of agreed, but I'm not exactly allied with Heaven. Just Gabriel, personally. Gabriel's the one who went and started declaring that bullshit to the Maou. I'm technically still rogue."

"I see…well that's certainly unusual, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at this point," Riser nodded.

Ravel stared at Issei intensely for a moment, "I heard you were friends with Lady Serafall Leviathan. Is that actually true?!"

"Yeah, Serafall and I are friends. It's funny, she didn't know I was a dragon and I didn't know she was a devil when we first met. We…umm…kind of met at a convention," Issei admitted.

"Convention?" Ravel deadpanned.

"Yeah…an anime and gaming convention," Issei followed up.

Ravel gawked at him, "Wait…you're this thug dragon hardass and you're into that geeky stuff?!"

"Like I said…I do what I want, and I like what I like. Anyone who laughs at it can go fuck themselves. With that being said, I'm not trying to be some otaku weirdo. I keep that shit to myself for the most part." Issei replied.

"Fair point, I suppose…" Ravel nodded.

Xuelan glanced at Issei and took a step closer, "You kept calling me some name in the Rating Game. Chun something…was that some character?"

"Oh, you've never actually seen Chun Li?! You seriously look just like her…except your hair is black instead of brown." Issei said disbelievingly.

"Should I have? Riser-sama recruited me 60 years ago…" Xuelan replied.

Issei grinned as he pulled out his phone and began to search the internet for a moment, "Well, this is Chun Li…you look just like her."

Xuelan and many of the others got closer or leaned in as they tried to get a view of the picture on Issei's phone. Xuelan immediately got flustered as she shook her head, "I look NOTHING like that!"

"Hey, don't take it badly. It's actually a compliment," Issei laughed.

Riser looked at the picture briefly, "You do actually look like her, Xuelan."

"You're already off to a good start, Riser…you got Chun Li in your peerage," Issei laughed.

"That girl's legs are way bigger than mine! I don't look that bulky, do I?!" Xuelan shrieked self-consciously.

"Sadly, no…she's thicker than you are. Still, you see what I mean now don't you?" the delinquent smirked.

"Wow, I thought you were just being a jerk. She really does look like her," Isabela spoke for the first time as she looked between the picture and Xuelan.

Siris crossed her arms, "What's this character even from? Some weirdo porn game?"

"No, it's Street Fighter, but don't mind that anymore. I just thought it was funny," Issei replied as he put his phone away.

The Chinese devil girl blushed full of embarrassment as several of the others actually acknowledged the resemblance.

"Nya, you do look like her, Xuelan," Ni added.

"With bigger legs and lighter hair, I could see the resemblance," Mihae added with calm amusement.

"You should feel flattered, Xuelan," Marion added.

After their various remarks, Karlamine, took a step towards Issei and knelt down before him. He gave her a quizzical look as she spoke respectfully, "I, Karlamine, knight of the House of Phenex offer my sincerest appreciation towards you. You are very honorable for the respect you have shown to us and Riser-sama himself. You have our eternal gratitude for your hospitality."

"Umm…thanks I guess," Issei replied as he felt a bit awkward from her chivalrous action.

It was at that exact moment, that Xenovia walked into the living room. Xenovia, still in her underwear and a T-shirt and walked into the room groggily, "Hey, Issei, who are you talking to?"

Her grogginess immediately went away when she saw the devils. Without wasting a second, Xenovia pulled her Excalibur out of nowhere as she brought it up, "What's going on?!"

Irina, quick to hear the commotion followed up by running in with her own sword. Both girls quickly calmed down when they realized that Issei looked passive. They didn't recognize the Phenex peerage devils and stared at them curiously.

Karlamine immediately leapt up as she reflexively reached for her sword. She calmed down a moment later when she realized that Xenovia and Irina were both dressed rather…crudely.

"Issei, who are they?! What are devils doing here?" Irina asked with noticeable hostility. It wasn't surprising considering her recent abduction.

"Relax, girls…they're just here to talk to me. These are the devils I fought against in the Rating Game for Gremory," Issei explained.

"What are they doing here?" Xenovia wondered.

"W-what was she doing kneeling down like that?!" Irina demanded.

"I was humbly offering my appreciation and sincerity to your master for his honorable hospitality," Karlamine answered.

"I'm not their master…they're just my friends," Issei clarified immediately.

Ravel looked at the two girls and was quick to point out something obvious, "Why are you two dressed like that?"

"We just woke up. I was a bit surprised when Issei wasn't in bed, and I assumed something was happening when I heard him talking in the living room," Xenovia answered.

"W-wait…you two slept with him?!" Ravel blushed at the thought.

"Yes, we did," Xenovia replied carelessly.

Irina on the other hand looked embarrassed, "It's not what you think. We just felt safer sleeping next to Issei."

"O-oh…" Ravel trailed off.

"So these are your friends? I guess I can see why Diodora wanted them now. They're pretty," Riser noted.

Karlamine immediately gave Xenovia a curious look, "You two are both swordswomen?"

"Yeah, we're exorcists, but we fancy ourselves templars," Xenovia explained.

"Impressive swords…I would very much like a chance to spar with you. I can always appreciate another warrior who wields a sword," Karlamine replied.

Ravel scoffed at the interaction, "Oh no, don't get her started on swords..."

Xenovia tilted her head, "I don't have a problem with that so long as it's okay with Issei."

"Issei-sama, do you think it would be possible for our peerage to train with you and your friends?" Karlamine asked.

Riser looked a bit surprised by her request and immediately glanced at Issei. The dragon looked at Karlamine for a moment before turning to Riser, "That's fine with me, I guess. I'm moving to a bigger house soon, so I'll let you guys come visit if you want. Maybe I could teach Riser a few things too."

"You would be willing to do that?" Riser asked shocked.

"Sure, why not…just give me a head's up before you come over. I'm kind of a private person," Issei replied.

"How would you like me to do that?" Riser asked.

"Just text me or something. You got a phone, right?" the dragon responded.

Riser shook his head, "Actually I don't, but my sister Ravel does."

"Alright, well I'll just get her number then," Issei nodded as he turned towards the drill haired blonde.

"That would work. Ravel is practically my secretary anyways," Riser said with a nod.

She looked completely flustered, "Nii-sama! I…I've never given my number to a boy before."

"Do you need to get parental permission first?" Issei teased her.

"N-no! Our parents don't actually know that we came here. We're technically not allowed to interact with you," Ravel said nervously.

"A rulebreaker eh? It's always the ones you least expect…" Issei grinned.

Ravel shyly reached out her hand, "Give me your phone…I'll put my number in."

"Okay…go ahead," he nodded as he handed it to the girl.

She quickly sent a message to her number from Issei's phone and saved her contact information in it. Without wasting any time she handed the phone back to him, "There…just don't send me any weird pictures, got it?"

"Issei, are we still going to parent teacher night later?" Xenovia asked out of the blue.

Irina was quick to notice the interest everyone had in the topic as they all looked at Issei. He sighed to himself, _'You have the worst timing, Xenovia…'_

"Yeah, we're still going," he nodded.

"Do you mind if we go to that event as well? I'd like to speak with Rias and Lucifer-sama. I imagine they're both going to be there yes?" Riser trailed off.

"If you want…either way I'll be there," Issei shrugged.

' _Great…now all of these guys are going too?! This shit is already going to be awkward enough with Rias and Sona's families showing up. Come to think of it, what the hell will they say if they see me palling around with Riser? Ah whatever…at this point who gives a shit. At least Red will be there to make it fun.'_

Before the situation could get more awkward, Issei sighed, "Well anyways, thanks for coming by and apologizing guys. I'll be seeing you around later tonight I guess."

Without another word, the devils all departed his house one by one. Issei was truly thankful that Raynare and Kalawarner didn't show up today as he couldn't even begin to imagine how awkward it would have been.

After they were all gone, Issei let out a sigh of relief. Irina walked up to Issei shortly afterwards and looked up at him, "What was that all about? They seriously came here to apologize to you?"

"Yeah…it was weird, but I gotta respect the effort at least," Issei nodded.

Xenovia shook her head, "I'm sure a lot more devils will be paying tithes of humility now that you fought a Maou and lived."

"It's whatever…" the brunette said carelessly as he checked the time.

A moment later, he turned towards Xenovia and Irina seriously, "Alright, well we might as well chill for a bit until parent teacher night. You girls go do your thing for a while. I'm going to be at the other house for a few hours."

"What are you going over there for?" Irina wondered.

"Nothing serious…just a side project of mine. I won't be far, so don't worry about anyone coming after you okay?" Issei replied.

 _'I'm setting up defense wards, alerts, tracking systems, and a stable portal today. I'll want the neighborhood secure for when mom and dad come home. Man tonight is going to be so weird,'_ Issei thought shaking his head.

 **Parent Teacher Night, Kuoh Academy**

After spending most of the day buying parts and magically materializing necessary equipment, Issei had finally set up Irina's old house and his own with a security system. It would alert him to any supernatural being coming within 400 meters of the house. With that matter settled, he felt much more comfortable about his parents coming home soon.

'One less thing to worry about. Once I get tonight over with, we're going to finish house hunting, Ddraig,' Issei said with satisfaction as he rode on his motorcycle towards Kuoh Academy. He soon passed through the front gates to the school and casually parked next to Vali and Tiamat who were both beaming with amusement as they leaned against their bikes.

After getting off and parking, Issei glanced at the two dragons curiously. Vali was dressed in her uniform again, and so was Tiamat unsurprisingly.

"You looked good in that picture you sent me, Vali. That was a cool outfit," Issei remarked.

"Hmph, thanks, Issei…I thought it was something up your alley," Vali smirked.

"What picture?" Xenovia asked curiously.

"Ah nothing serious...I just sent Issei a selfie from earlier," Vali smirked.

As Xenovia and Irina both reacted in their typical ways, Issei felt Tiamat jump on his back. She was quick to playfully and loosely wrap her arms around his neck as she brought her legs up, "Carry me, Issei!"

"What the hell are you doing, Tiamat?" Issei tried to flake her off as he moved from side to side.

"You smell good today…better than usual," Tiamat said approvingly as she sniffed his hair.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Issei sighed as the blue haired dragon finally got off of him.

She smiled at him playfully, "You're worthy enough for me."

"Come again?" he deadpanned.

"I will for you," Tiamat said suggestively.

' _Oh no…don't tell me she's in full dere mode now that I've flexed my power and fought Ajuka Beelzebub,'_ Issei thought horrified.

"Excuse me?! What did you just say!?" Irina interrupted.

Before an argument could break out, Issei stopped them, "Does this mean you're going to stop being a bitch, Tiamat?"

"Don't get your hopes that high…but I'll stop goading you now if you want," she giggled.

"Please do…it was getting annoying," he replied.

Vali stared at Issei briefly, "If we get the chance later, I want to talk to you alone, Issei."

"Sure thing, Vali. Let's go ahead and get inside girls," Issei announced as he and his entourage entered the school.

Upon entering, the school was decorated and filled with students, teachers, parents, siblings, and all manner of other guests. Despite how crowded it was, everyone immediately noticed Issei's arrival as the chorus of mingling quieted down for a moment.

"Issei-kun!" Someone called out excitedly.

To his complete disbelief, the delinquent saw Gabriel walking hastily towards him. She was currently disguised as a human woman in what looked to be professor's clothing.

' _What the actual fuck is this?!'_ he thought horrified.

"Oh hey Gabriel…" Issei acknowledged her.

"That's Gabriel-sensei to you now. I am your newest history teacher!" she said happily.

Seeing Issei and his friends now interacting, most of the room went back to their own business. Several onlookers were still watching them, however. They mostly included the resident school devils and their families.

"Gabriel-sama…sensei?" Irina said surprised at the woman.

"You're a sensei at this school now? That's amazing!" Xenovia said awestruck.

' _How in the world did she pull this off?! Don't tell me Sitri and Gremory let this happen…'_ Issei wondered.

"Oh yes, I decided it was very important that I keep a much closer eye on Issei and you girls from now on. I asked Sirzechs Lucifer for permission and he agreed to it," Gabriel explained.

Before Issei could even fathom a response to this situation, Sona walked over towards them. She calmly and politely explained the situation, "In light of recent events, Gabriel-sensei insisted on keeping a closer eye on you at this school. Lucifer-sama agreed on the condition that she look after us as well. I was surprised by this turn of events, but it did have an unforeseen problem…my sister didn't approve."

"ISSEI-CHAN!" A familiar voice called out as a black and pink blur blindsided him.

Serafall Leviathan was aggressively clutching onto him in a tight hug as she beamed with excitement, "I'm so happy to see you again. I'm glad you're okay. Did you get my messages?"

"Yes, I did, Serafall. I appreciate your concerns about me, but I'm all good now," he replied.

A moment later, the Maou turned her head towards Gabriel with aggressive hostility, "If she's going to be a teacher here, then I'm going to insist on staying full time in order to make sure she doesn't get any naughty ideas."

"I'm only here to look after Issei and his friends," Gabriel replied with a smile.

Serafall narrowed her gaze at her archrival, "I'm looking after him now…not you."

"I'm afraid I have to insist on ensuring Issei-kun's continued safety and oversight. He is after all under the protection of heaven," Gabriel responded happily.

"Over my dead body! Don't get any ideas about Issei-chan, you…you…YOU BIRD!" Serafall stuttered halfway through her sentence with the childish insult.

Despite her aloof nature, Gabriel seemed aware of Serafall's dislike of her. She tilted her head innocently, "I would prefer no hostilities be involved. I assured Sirzechs Lucifer that I would not harm any devils here."

"W-what? Are you saying you could take me?! Wait until I sparkle!" Serafall countered as she held up her magical girl wand. The fact that she was wearing the Milky Spiral cosplay only added to the weird looks she was getting from some curious onlookers.

"Onee-sama! Please don't do that here!" Sona pleaded with a flushed and embarrassed face.

Serafall quickly stopped herself but looked more than a little heated, "You're lucky Sona-chan is here or I'd kick your butt, Gabriel."

"I'm sorry you don't like me, Lady Leviathan, but there is no reason we both can't be friends with Issei Hyoudou and look after him," Gabriel replied with diplomatic kindness.

' _Angels are too nice…it's really creepy to watch,'_ Issei thought to himself as he watched this brief exchange.

Before their argument could continue, Sirzechs Lucifer arrived along with Rias and most of her peerage. He quickly diffused the tension, "Serafall, I'd appreciate it if you eased up in this matter. I approved of Gabriel being here. I have no issues with your continued oversight here, but I insist that you remain civil with the seraph."

"If you insist, Sirzy-chan…" Serafall pouted.

Glancing over at Vali now, Sirzechs addressed her, "Ah, you must be the girl Grayfia mentioned…Vali was it?"

"I take it you already know who I am?" Vali replied sternly.

The Maou nodded his head, "Yes I do…I know who you are and why you're here, Vali Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" Irina gawked.

Xenovia's head jerked towards the silver haired girl shocked, "So then…she's related to the Lucifer Clan?"

Vali seemed indifferent to their shocked reactions, but nodded nonetheless, "I'm only a half-devil, so it's not like I'm in deep with the Old Satan Faction. They don't really like me as I'm sure you can imagine."

Issei's lack of a reaction caused Sirzechs to glance at him, "I take it you were aware of this already, Issei?"

"Look man, can we just fuck off with the politics for one night? I'm here for a grade…not to mingle or gossip, alright?" Issei sighed.

Sirzechs nodded, "As you wish, Issei. It is good to see you again. I heard you befriended Rias and her friends. That's great news."

"You did?" Tiamat asked a bit quicker than she meant to.

"Awww, Issei-chan is becoming friends with everyone now!" Serafall chirped happily as she clutched onto one of his arms.

A loud sound interrupted any follow-up conversations as everyone turned their heads towards the entrance of the school. They could hear a powerful screaming motor coming from outside along with extremely loud music. It had a strong hardcore sound with an epic chorus. It shut off a few seconds afterward.

Several seconds passed as everyone stared at the entrance in anticipation. Both doors went flying open as a lone figure came walking into the building. He was tall and muscular, but still had a chiseled and lean look to him. His clothes were some type of full biker suit. It looked stylish and a bit armored. It mostly consisted of red and black, but a few trims or gold and noticeable dragon designs decorated his entirety of it. His hair was mostly black with red tips and golden highlights. It was a bit longer than Issei's and was slightly slicked and styled. He was also wearing sunglasses even despite the fact that it was nighttime. Even in spite of them, Issei already knew his eyes were gold just like in his dragon form. Red's human face was also strong and handsome. What was most surprising about his appearance though was the fact that he had some resemblance to Issei.

' _Did Red make his human form match mine?'_ Issei wondered as his _'dad'_ walked in like a badass.

' _ **He actually came…this ought to be interesting,'**_ Ddraig laughed.

"THE STRONGEST DAD HAS ARRIVED! Oi, Issei! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Red called out loudly as he casually looked around. Everyone was blatantly staring at him with unfiltered shock. It only took him a few seconds to locate Issei, and to everyone's amazement, the newly arrived individual appeared to be related to him.

"Excuse me, sir," Issei's homeroom teacher timidly addressed Red, "a-are you Hyoudou-san's father?"

"OF COURSE I AM! I'm his real dad! Who are you?" Red asked the timid woman.

She stared at him almost lost in thought as she couldn't even respond. Red leaned in and looked at her closer, "You one of his teachers or somethin?"

"Y-yes, it is such an…such an honor to meet you," Issei's teacher began to blush at Red as she bowed her head politely and stuttered through her embarrassment.

"COOL! HE BETTER BE THE BEST DAMN KID IN THIS SCHOOL OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TALK! Oi, Issei, come here!" Red waved him over.

The delinquent immediately walked over towards Red and away from his current group. Issei looked at him curiously, "Glad you could make it…dad."

"So this is your father, Hyoudou-san? He is not quite what I expected, but he looks very much like you. What's your name, Otou-san?" she asked.

"Red," he answered casually.

"Red? Strange…is it a nickname or something?" she wondered.

The dragon nodded, "Yeah, something like that!"

"So what do you do for a living, Red-san?" she asked Red with awestruck eyes.

"Just call me Red, alright?! I suppose you could say I'M A PROFESSIONAL BADASS! I pull wild stunts and break speed records. I don't look at explosions either!" he answered.

"Oooh…so you're a professional stuntman or movie star then? How fascinating. That would certainly explain your son's interest in motorcycles as well," his teacher said with unfiltered interest.

"Yeah…" Red said with a suave coolness.

"Did your wife manage to make it as well tonight?" she asked.

"I ain't married…" Red scoffed at her.

The woman's eyes widened with hope, "R-really? I suppose that's a personal matter then. Does that mean you're single?"

"Huh?" Red asked.

He briefly turned towards Issei as the woman continued to stare at him. Issei could hear Red speaking to him telepathically, **'Is your teacher eyeing me up right now?'**

' **That's what it looks like,'** Issei replied telepathically.

' **Watch this, Issei…'** Red laughed.

"OF COURSE I AM! This dragon can't be tamed! I'm too much for anyone to handle!" Red said proudly.

A few nearby women and even some parents were staring at Red almost lustfully from his pure charismatic swagger. Issei found it odd that they were turned on by it as he found it almost comical and embarrassing to watch.

' **Is this normal? All of the older females in here are staring at me,'** Red laughed.

' **I don't know…I get the same looks. I think it's just some kind of allure that dragons give off. I figured you would know more about it than I would,'** Issei replied.

' **As if I know how this shit works. I haven't been to Earth in thousands of years. Though I guess that explains why you have so many females following you around. Trying to repopulate the dragon race now, are you? Attaboy!'** Red laughed.

"So, TELL ME SENSEI! IS ISSEI THE BEST STUDENT IN THIS SCHOOL!? I WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM ANY SON OF MINE!" Red asked loudly for everyone nearby to hear.

His sensei nodded slowly, "I believe he's still number one for the 2nd year students. His academics are very good, though he didn't make a perfect score in math compared to most of his other subjects. His physics grade is still very impressive though. He has a 98."

"98?! Out of 100?!" Red said seriously.

"Y-yes…it was very impressive considering it was the highest score in-" the woman never got the chance to finish her sentence as Red shook his head.

"ISSEI! YOU DON'T HAVE A 100 IN PHYSICS?! What happened?!" Red demanded with an almost comical hysteria.

"I…I was distracted that day," he replied.

"You could fail history or biology, and I wouldn't care…but physics?! WHY?!" Red continued.

' _How does he know what classes I take?'_ Issei wondered briefly.

"H-he's not failing, sir. His grades are the highest in his year right now," the woman tried to reassure Red.

Looking at Issei's teacher, the dragon immediately grabbed her shoulders, "Tell me what happened! Why is he failing in physics?! I personally tutored him in physics! THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM IS FAILING MY SON!"

The woman immediately went scarlet from Red grabbing her shoulders and spoke slowly, "H-he made 100 on all the exams, but he forgot a homework assignment. I-I can give him an extra credit assignment if you'd like."

Red immediately regained his cool as he nodded approvingly, "If you would do that for him, I would greatly appreciate it."

"A-anything you want…" the woman said with obvious sexual innuendos attached.

' **Smooth…aniki,'** Issei laughed.

' **No protégé of mine isn't going to have a perfect physics grade. That shit's important so you can maximize speed, momentum, and aerodynamical badassery!'** Red responded.

Red seemed oblivious to Issei's teacher now and her lustful shyness as he immediately walked away. Issei quickly followed him and spoke once they were a reasonable distance away from everyone, "So, why'd you want to come here tonight anyways, Red?"

"To hype you up even more," Red laughed.

"You already told my teacher your name. Are you going to reveal yourself to anyone? The devils aren't that stupid you know." Issei said seriously.

Red laughed, "Who cares. I'm just here because I thought it would be funny."

"Be careful what you say to them. They're very meticulous about remembering shit I say," Issei explained.

"Don't worry about a thing, Issei. I'll explain away any questions they have. I'm actually here to reinforce your cover story as well," Red said coolly.

Before the two could continue their private conversation, several individual began to approach them again.

"Issei-chan, this is your dad?!" Serafall asked with amazement as she ran up to Red beaming with childish glee.

"I AM INDEED, ISSEI'S REAL DAD!" Red announced unnecessarily as he looked over the surrounding devils and other onlookers. Among them included Sona, Rias, and both of their entire peerages. Issei's own friends were also all present. Sirzechs and Grayfia were standing further back, but looked interested in the situation. On the opposite end of the room, Rias' parents were with Sona's parents in a distant corner watching the scene almost bewildered.

"Who are you exactly? I've never seen you before, and I know a lot of the big dragons," Tiamat immediately asked Red as she looked at him with fascination.

"Red is what I go by. You're allowed to call me that if you wish!" Red answered.

Tiamat looked at him curiously, "So you're Issei's dragon parent? You must be really powerful then considering how strong he is. How come I've never heard of you though?"

"Who knows, but I live my life away from other beings. I suppose it's not surprising that you've never encountered me," he answered.

Vali looked at Red fascinated, "What kind of a dragon are you?"

"The badass kind!" Red replied as he crossed his arms.

"So you said you weren't married. I was wondering how exactly did you have Issei then? Did you have a thing for his mother or something?" Vali wondered.

Red shook his head, "No, not exactly. I created Issei with my own flesh and a fraction of my power. I endowed these gifts into an unborn human child that could one day grow to be my son. I selected Issei's human parents specifically because his human father is descended from a hero bloodline. He's technically my son and theirs from a biological and spiritual standpoint."

' **Are you just bullshitting them Red? Or am I really?'** Issei couldn't help but ask.

' **Technically you are, but I didn't really know that until I upgraded you a few years ago. You were born with the Longinus Boosted Gear because you're a descendant of a Hero bloodline. It's not entirely random with humans despite what everyone thinks. Those with hero blood have a much higher chance of being born with a sacred gear,'** Red told Issei.

' **That's interesting…I actually didn't know that,'** Issei thought.

' _ **Neither did I…but now that he mentions it, I can certainly understand my previous hosts better,'**_ Ddraig added.

"He's from a hero bloodline? Which one?" Vali perked up with fascination.

"That's not important…but the result is why my son is such a complete badass. He might even pass his dad one day!" Red laughed.

' **That's the funniest thing you've ever said!'** Issei chuckled at how much nonsense Red was spewing.

' **I gotta sell it to them, Issei,'** Red laughed back.

 **'Which hero bloodline am I from though? You can tell me, right?** ' Issei asked.

Red sighed, **'You're better off not knowing to be perfectly honest. I'll tell you later if you really want to know, but now's not the best time to talk about it.'**

"That's very interesting…I guess it explains why Issei is so quiet about his parents. I have another question…do you know the Sekiryuutei? Issei claims to have been trained by him," Vali asked Red seriously.

Red nodded, "Yeah I know him…he's off training right now to become stronger."

"Really?" Vali's eyes sharpened, "how strong would you say he is?"

"He can use Ddraig's full power…so I'd say pretty strong," Red smirked.

Vali seemed anxiously concerned as she looked away, "I see…well that's interesting to know."

"He can?!" Tiamat's eyes widened seriously.

Before their inquiries could continue, Gabriel herself came up shortly after and addressed the great dragon, "Hello, Issei's dad, I am his new history teacher, Gabriel."

"You look like you belong in one of those student teacher porn movies," Red stated bluntly.

"I'm afraid I don't know which movies you're referring to…" Gabriel frowned.

Red chuckled, "Ah you know…the ones where the student is in detention and the teacher tries to sedu-"

Before Red could finish his sentence, Serafall interrupted, "Issei-chan, come meet my parents!"

It was completely obvious that Serafall was trying to separate Issei from Gabriel by any means necessary.

Red stopped mid-sentence as he watched the eager Serafall try to drag Issei away from the group. He was about to follow behind them before Sirzechs and Grayfia approached him and started staring.

"It was nice meeting you, sir," Gabriel said politely to Red before she followed after Issei. The angel kept a respectable distance, but was still close enough to see them interact with Sona's parents. Vali and Tiamat took this opportunity to wander off to talk to each other about the situation. Sona and her peerage followed behind Serafall and Issei along with Irina and Xenovia. Rias' people all wandered off with each other as they undoubtedly wanted to talk about Red in private. This left Red alone in front of Sirzechs and Grayfia who were staring at him still.

"What the hell are you lookin at?!" Red said to Sirzechs distastefully.

The man smiled in response, "My name is Sirzechs Lucifer. I am currently one of four-"

"I don't care. You look like a square," Red said carelessly as he interrupted Sirzechs and immediately walked away from him. As Red departed, he began to examine the various people in the area. Many older women were quick to try and follow Red and introduce themselves to him the moment he was alone.

Sirzechs looked shocked by the response from Red but he maintained his coolness, nonetheless. Grayfia on the other hand actually seemed kind of mad about it. She turned towards her husband seriously, "He's rather rude, isn't he?"

"I can certainly see where Issei got his attitude from," Sirzechs nodded.

"Who do you think that dragon actually is?" Grayfia wondered.

Sirzechs stared at Red for a moment as he thought aloud, "His son has four wings and has shown the ability to use illusions and open portals. Issei is a red dragon and he derived his powers from this 'Red'. There has to be a reason for his immense power..."

A moment later, Sirzechs' calm demeanor instantly went serious as his eyes widened with disbelief, "It…it can't be."

"What is it Sirzechs-sama?" Grayfia asked.

"We shouldn't speak of it here, Grayfia…but what if that dragon is the Dragon of the Apocalypse…the Great Red?" Sirzechs whispered.

Grayfia's face went even paler as she darted her eyes towards Red. The dragon was currently ignoring a growing crowd of female admirers and was talking to Tsubasa of all people. His boisterously loud voice drowned out the room, "AHAHAHAHA! I DO INDEED LOVE THAT MOVIE! Your tastes are very similar to mine and Issei's, Tsubasa Yura! It's a wonder he's not good friends with you!"

"You think we have a lot in common? Me and him?" Tsubasa asked with eagerness.

Ignoring their antics, Grayfia gasped at Sirzechs, "That's impossible…a being that powerful couldn't come here undetected. Plus, do you really think the Dragon of the Apocalypse would act like...that?"

"We don't really know anything about the Apocalypse Dragon. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions, but it could explain why nobody has ever seen this dragon before and how his son is so powerful. I'll have Ajuka look into it," Sirzechs said seriously.

Meanwhile, Issei was currently being dragged over towards Sona and Serafall's parents where most of the others followed. Rias' parents were no longer there with them, and were now with their daughter's peerage further away.

"Tou-chan, Kaa-chan, meet my friend Issei Hyoudou!" Serafall announced proudly as she stopped in front of them holding onto Issei's arm.

Lord Sitri and Lady Sitri both had widened and cautious expressions as they politely acknowledged him.

"Nice to meet you, Issei Hyoudou…we've heard a lot about you," Lady Sitri began.

"I understand you're friends with both of our daughters. I admit I find that strange, but not unwelcome. We would much rather be on your good side than not. It's real shame what happened to Diodora Astaroth recently, but we do not condemn you for it. I only hope you continue to show support and friendship to my daughters and the Sitri family," Lord Sitri droned on politically.

Sona quickly walked up as she looked at her parents, "Don't worry about us, Otou-sama, Hyoudou-kun has been nothing but cooperative with me. He's even friends Rias and her peerage now. We all trust him around Kuoh."

"That is good to know, Sona," Lord Sitri nodded approvingly.

Lady Sitri gave Issei a quizzical look, "I have a question for you, dear. Why do you attend this school if you do not care much for most devils, Hyoudou-san?"

"I live here…" Issei replied bluntly.

The woman looked away for a moment, "Oh pardon my question, I didn't mean for it to come across like that. Please don't think me rude. I was simply curious about your interest in this academy and your academics in general."

"I promised my parents I would get a good education. There's no ulterior motive...it really is as simple as that," Issei answered.

Lord Sitri turned towards Serafall a moment later, "Tell me, Serafall, how exactly did you become involved with this dragon?"

"Issei and I met at an anime convention!" Serafall announced proudly.

Both Issei and Sona cringed at her announcement. Lady Sitri quickly voiced her confusion, "So you're into the same forms of media our daughter is then? Interesting…I never would have expected a dragon like you to have similar hobbies."

Serafall gave them a pouty face, "Issei isn't afraid to be who he wants to be. That's what I like about him."

' _You're too pure and good to be a devil, Serafall…'_ Issei thought approvingly that the female Maou could actually understand his mindset.

"ANYWAYS!" Sona loudly tried to change the subject, "what ever happened with Riser Phenex coming by your house, Hyoudou-kun?"

"Look, just call me Issei now, alright? I'm already on a first name basis with all of Gremory's people and your sister," Issei stated causing Sona to look a bit embarrassed.

She closed her eyes as she quickly adjusted her glasses, "I…If you insist on it, then I will call you by your first name, I-Issei…"

"I actually wanted to thank you for sending them to my house, Sona. Riser apologized to me," Issei explained.

Sona looked embarrassed by Issei calling her by name directly, and both of her parents looked like they wanted to say something about it too. Nevertheless, that issue was overlooked as the news of Riser apologizing had everyone surprised.

"H-he apologized to you?" Sona repeated with disbelief. Her entire peerage appeared equally as shocked, but they remained silent as to not interrupt the high-class devils speaking.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, I was surprised too. It was random as hell, but I can't say I didn't appreciate it."

"The Phenex boy did that?! Do his parents know he came here today?" Lord Sitri gawked.

Issei shook his head, "No, his sister thought they would object to it, so they didn't tell them. I respected the fact that he had the spine to do it…so he and I are on good terms now."

"Interesting…Lord and Lady Phenex will be most pleased to know that their family isn't in any danger from you then. No offense to you, Issei Hyoudou, but many among the pillars consider you a dangerous threat," Lord Sitri replied.

"They should consider me a threat…no amount of politics is going to protect anyone from me if they try anything stupid like Diodora did," Issei stated coldly.

"That won't ever happen again! I got your back next time, Issei-chan!" Serafall added cheerily.

"Duly noted…it was nice to meet you, Hyoudou-san. If you'll excuse us, we have to be leaving soon. I will assure the Phenex family that you mean them no harm though," Lord Sitri said with a polite nod before leaving with his wife.

Red, finally came walking back with Tsubasa as they caught up with the Sitri group. He spoke to the blue girl approvingly, "Just do what I told you and if you're serious about it."

"Thank you for telling me, Red-sama," Tsubasa bowed her head towards the dragon.

The others found it confusing, but they didn't get a chance to ask about it as Red quickly called out to Issei, "Yo Issei, come here! We have to talk about something!"

The delinquent immediately walked over towards Red, but unsurprisingly, everyone else followed him. Red looked past Issei at Sona's peerage and Serafall, "You mind giving us some space?"

"As you wish, sir," Sona bowed politely as she gestured for her peerage to follow her. Irina and Xenovia both left as well, but had concerned expressions on their faces.

Serafall lingered briefly, "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, but we need a few minutes alone," Red dismissed her.

"O-okay...hurry up and come meet Rias-chan's parents next Issei-chan! We'll be over here!" Serafall announced to the delinquent before leaving him alone with Red.

' **Couldn't you just speak to me telepathically if this was important? What's up, Red?'** Issei wondered.

' **I'm leaving soon, but I wanted to warn you before I did. Speak to me normally but listen to what I'm telling you,'** Red replied.

Issei walked directly next to Red now as he rose a brow, "What's up dad?"

"Ah nothing much, I was just going to leave soon since I have to be somewhere early tomorrow morning. YOU KEEP BEING THE BEST STUDENT AT THIS SCHOOL! SHOW ALL THESE RIAJUU DWEEBS THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE COOL, BADASS, AND SMART!" Red announced super loudly. Issei was quick to realize he was purposely getting everyone's attention with these antics. He had no idea why though.

' **I can sense Ophis just entered this plane. Normally, I wouldn't give a shit, but she'll be able to tell who I am if she shows up here. I need to leave before she detects me otherwise your cover and your world are going to be destroyed,'** Red explained casually.

"Alright dad, well thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to show up here tonight," Issei responded.

' **You're running away from Ophis?'** Issei psychically demanded.

 **'What t** **he fuck did you just say?! I could body that bitch in a minute flat, but she'll undoubtedly try to fight me if she senses me outside of the Dimensional Gap. That would destroy the Earth. I'm getting out of here for your sake, not mine. If it wasn't for you, I'd beat her ass right here and now before blowing this world into dust,'** Red replied a bit heatedly.

Red held his hand up to fist bump Issei, "See ya around son! Make me proud!"

' **Watch your back, Issei…Ophis might be weaker than me but she's still way stronger than you. If that bitch tries anything, I'll come fuck her up...so just steer clear of her for now. In the mean time, I'm gonna be making an obstacle course for a while. Try to come visit me the next chance you get and MAKE A 100 IN PHYSICS DAMN IT!'** Red waved as he turned around left the school.

' **OH, before you go, I meant to ask you something! How should I go about perfecting Nightmare Mode in conjunction with my Balance Breaker?'** Issei asked.

Red smirked, **'Use your imagination.'**

' **Oh haha, very funny,'** Issei shot back.

 **'We'll work on that later. I'll let you know when the obstacle course is done. It's going to be good training for the both of us,'** Red laughed before leaving the front door of the school building.

He disappeared shortly afterward much to Issei's disappointment. There was nobody in the world that he liked spending time with more than Red. Every time they parted ways was a bit depressing.

After Red was gone, Issei let out a sigh. He was distracted from his momentary depression when he saw Riser entering the building with his entire peerage.

 _'Ah shit…well just when I thought this was going to get boring. Where'd Xenovia and Irina go? They've been awfully quiet ever since Gremory's brother called out Vali. Speaking of which, where is Ingvild? I should try to find her too. I'm guessing she was too shy to show up with all these people swarming me and Red. That sucks that he just left. Is Ophis actually coming to Kuoh though?'_ Issei thought concerned.

Issei was drawn from his thoughts when he heard Vali's voice from behind, "You got a few minutes to talk now, Issei?"

He slowly turned around as he looked at Vali, "Sure I suppose. I take it this is something serious?"

"Very serious…Ophis is interested in meeting you," Vali replied.

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I swear I tried not to make this a cliffhanger, but it just got too long again. I guess parent teacher night is going to be finished up next chapter now. Anyways, this chapter itself was like 17 k words. I seriously didn't want to make it this long, but I knew it would disappoint people if we didn't get to parent teacher night in this chapter. I know some people think I should make smaller chapters, but sometimes I feel like it just throws off my flow. Plus I personally hate short chapters, so I can't make myself do that. I usually average 11-12 k word chapters for most of my fics, so don't expect anything this extreme in the future. I just didn't know where to stop this time. Anyways, with all that crap aside, let's go over the chapter.

So to start, Issei sleeps in and wakes up next to Irina and Xenovia. They are both still a bit nervous about being too far away from him and will be getting much closer as the fic progresses. After he wakes up, Issei is bombarded with a ton of texts from various people. These offer a bit more of an in-depth reaction to how various characters felt about Issei's recent attack. I apologize if you didn't get to see too much of everyone just yet. There will be plenty more of it in the next chapter, so don't fret if you didn't get enough of Vali and Tiamat's plans or Serafall being Serafall.

Speaking of which, Gabriel is now a teacher at Kuoh Academy so that she can directly watch over Issei and his friends in person. Sirzechs agrees since he's a good guy, but how do the other various Maou and pillars feel about it? Serafall certainly seems opposed. More on that coming soon…

Now a large portion of this chapter was dedicated to Riser showing up at Issei's house and apologizing to him. As I wrote it out, I could already imagine the various reactions it would get. I know a lot of people hate Riser, and he was certainly a douchebag in canon and earlier in this fic. With that being said, I didn't want to make him into a character punching bag in my story. Personally, I never had an issue with Riser as a character…especially after he becomes cooler in the LN. Diodora and Freed are the only characters I actually hate…and that's why they're conveniently dead lol. So yeah, this might seem like it's a bit out of character, but keep in mind they're scared shitless of Issei…especially after he fights Ajuka. Ravel being the intelligent girl she is convinces Riser to apologize. Now during their interactions, Issei learns a bit more about Riser and why he acts the way he does. The two have a sort of heart to heart conversation and resolve the conflict they had between them. How will Rias and friends react to Riser's crew showing up next chapter? You'll have to wait and see! Also, Ravel is in the harem because I've always liked her so there's that.

Moving on to the main highlight of the chapter was of course Red himself showing up at Kuoh Academy. Now you didn't get to see it this chapter, but he showed up on his own motorcycle. I left the music he was playing vague but I am curious as to what you guys would expect him to listen to. I hope Red's antics weren't underwhelming for anyone as I can assume many people were imagining some wild and awesome things from him. Nevertheless, he does make his presence known and is appalled by Issei not having a perfect physics grade. That aside, he reinforces Issei's cover story to everyone when he talks about how Issei was conceived. Now this is a very important moment in the chapter. Issei finds out he is descended from a Hero bloodline and that's why he was born with the Boosted Gear. Which Hero bloodline is it, and why didn't Red want to tell him? Feel free to speculate, but that will be answered in a future chapter. And yes, I know it's not canonical for someone to need hero blood to be born with a Longinus or a sacred gear. I'm only saying that makes it more common. It's not canon, as far as I'm aware...it's just something I added for this fic. So don't get too hung up on that.

The ending was particularly serious however, when Red tells Issei he is leaving because Ophis is on the Earth. Now I know people were dying for that interaction between Red and Ophis, but don't you worry…it's coming SOON. Despite ghosting before Ophis arrives, Red makes a lasting impression on everyone there. Sirzechs in particular is now suspicious that Red is in fact the Great Red. Did the DXD do this by design, or does he simply not care if someone is smart enough to figure it out on their own? What will the Maou do once they confirm this truth?! Also, why is Red making an obstacle course to train on? These are the things to keep in mind, folks.

Next chapter we'll be wrapping up parent teacher day, and Issei will be getting himself a new pad. Also, don't you worry…Ingvild will be in the next chapter too. She was just too shy to go near Issei and all of his other friends right away. There will be plenty more interactions with all the minor characters we missed in this one, so don't fret my loyal readers. Also, Kokabiel will be making his debut next chapter or two, so stay tuned for that! Anyways, thanks for reading as always. Let me know what you're most hyped for if you enjoyed it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: The Infinite Dragon God**

Issei stared at Vali blankly for a moment before answering calmly, "I don't have any interest in meeting her."

"She's coming here right now…you don't really have a choice unless you intend on renouncing her in front of the whole school. She won't think twice about asking you to join her in front of these Maou or the seraph. Just talk to her…she's not going to try anything. You have my word as a friend on that. I told Ophis I'd convince you to meet her on the school rooftop tonight if she avoided showing herself here," Vali persuaded.

The delinquent rolled his eyes, "Sounds like this was all planned out a little too conveniently."

"Honestly, it wasn't. It was a last-minute random decision that she told Tiamat and I about this morning. Ophis has been mildly curious about you and wanted you as a recruit, but she hasn't really considered it any kind of priority up until your attack on the Underworld last night. I know it seems like we're trying to corner you into this, but I'm the only reason she's even waited this long. Just talk to her okay?" Vali explained.

A moment later, Tiamat came up as well. She looked at Vali concerned, "She's going to be there soon, Vali. We should hurry. If she gets there before us, she'll probably just come down here."

"Is there a reason you waited until the last minute to tell me this shit?" Issei sighed.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but all the people talking to you kind of side-tracked that. It's also not something I would text you," the devil-dragon elaborated.

"We can talk about this later, alright?" Tiamat interjected.

"C'mon, Issei, let's hurry," Vali grabbed his arm and practically tried to drag him away from the main area.

Despite their high charisma and presence, all three dragons were able to avoid attention and detection as they stealthily reached the stairs and headed for the rooftop. As they ascended to the rooftop, Issei wondered if anyone managed to catch sight of them leaving. He quickly brushed those thoughts aside as the three of them arrived at their destination.

"She's already here…" Tiamat stated as she pointed at a figure facing away from them and staring into the night sky.

"Sorry if we kept you waiting, Ophis…" Vali said calmly as the figure turned around and looked at them blankly.

"It is no concern. I only just arrived a few seconds ago," Ophis replied with stoic and emotionless tone.

Issei stared at Ophis more closely as he took in her appearance in its entirety. She looked like a young black-haired girl in a strange Lolita getup. Her eyes were a silverish-grey and black and looked completely lifeless.

' _This…is Ophis?! The great enemy and self-proclaimed rival of my aniki Red?! It's a little fucking girl!? What the fuck?! AHAHAHA!'_ Issei began to laugh in his head. Outwardly his mouth was starting to twitch a bit as he forced back the snickers that were trying to escape his mouth.

' _ **I've only ever seen her dragon form. I wasn't expecting…this,'**_ Ddraig added.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Issei couldn't hold back his laughter anymore as he started cackling uncontrollably.

Vali and Tiamat exchanged confused and uncomfortable looks with one another as they tried to figure out just what was so funny.

"Umm…what's so funny, Issei?" Vali asked him curiously.

"Ophis is a little girl?! Haha! THIS is the great and powerful Infinite Ouroboros Dragon of the Void?! You two are just messing with me, right?! This can't be real hahahaha! Good one, Vali! I knew you had it in you to pull a prank like this on me!" Issei kept laughing as he walked closer towards the infamous dragon.

She seemed completely indifferent to his humor and tilted her head slightly, "You don't believe I am Ophis?"

"There's no fucking way, you're Ophis! You look NOTHING like I imagined," Issei shook his head as he finally stopped laughing.

"I am Ophis," the girl repeated blankly again.

"This isn't a joke, Issei! Don't laugh at her unless you want to die!" Tiamat warned him. It seemed more out of concern for him than anger, much to his surprise.

"Wait…so this is for real then? You're actually Ophis? Why are you a little girl?" Issei asked disbelievingly.

"I've had this current form for about 400 years. I fail to understand why you imagined I would look any different," Ophis stated with aloof rationalism.

"It's just…you're so infamous that I expected you to look cooler and much more badass," Issei explained.

Ophis stared at Issei for a brief moment before responding, "What did you imagine me to look like?"

Issei briefly recalled a memory in his mind: _('Hey aniki, what kind of personality does Ophis have and what does she look like? You've never actually told me before.'_

' _ **She's nothing like me. Imagine a socially awkward goth chick with a weird emotionless personality and an undeserving ego and you'll sort of get the picture. She's quiet, boring, and lame overall. The only redeeming quality she has is that Ophis is relatively chill most of the time.'**_ _Red answered._

' _So she looks like a goth chick then? Like some dark sorceress babe?' Issei confirmed._

 _Red scoffed,_ _ **"Uhh…yeah, I guess you could say that. Regardless, I don't really care."**_ _)_

After the brief silence, Issei shook his head, "I always assumed you looked like some sexy goth sorceress with a huge rack and skimpy black dragon armor or something. Maybe like an evil cloak flowing from the back to match your ouroboros void snake pauldrons. I mean you're a Dragon Goddess after all…I expected something super intimidating, grandiose, and halfway seductive. Hell even being older would make me take you more seriously."

"I think you've been playing too many video games, Issei…" Vali said somewhat amused by his imagination.

Tiamat deadpanned, "So, you got a thing for goth girls then, Issei?"

"What?! No…I was just saying that's what I thought Ophis' humanoid form looked like. This is kind of underwhelming to be honest. I mean she's a cute little girl and all, but I can't take her seriously in that form," Issei explained.

"But you could take her seriously if she looked like some S&M cosplayer?" Vali laughed.

"Maybe I could..." Issei countered.

"If that's what you're into Issei...all you had to do was ask me," Tiamat smirked.

Ophis looked away for a moment as if contemplating Issei's words. She turned back shortly afterward, "I will gladly wear that form if you prefer me to. Several of the other dragons have made similar remarks on my lack of presence. I suppose altering my attire and aging my humanoid form a bit will make me more 'intimidating', 'grandiose', and 'seductive' as you put it."

Before anyone could say a word, a light purple and black aura enveloped Ophis' body for several seconds. Moments later, the magical aura dissipated and Ophis was now in a form very similar to what Issei described.

He jaw-dropped at it when he realized that her now larger bust was almost completely exposed minus her nipples being taped over. Instead of looking like a little girl, she now looked like an older teenager and had all the curves that came with puberty. Her eyes and hair were practically the same, but a small amount of dark black and purple eyeliner decorated them. She also had the Ouroboros symbol of the infinity snake shaped into a circlet like diadem on her forehead. She even had infinity sign hoop earrings on each of her pointed ears.

Her new 'skimpy' armor was even more revealing than Issei could have imagined. Black armored thigh high boots went up each leg. A similar pair of gauntlets covered her forearms and went up to her shoulders in some type of armored sleeve. Her shoulders now had snake shaped pauldrons and a cloak attached to them which flowed behind her back. Over her waist, she was wearing some type of loincloth miniskirt barely covering a noticeable armored black thong. She had nothing over her torso however which caused Issei to stare for a brief moment.

"You going to put some armor on your chest too? It's a little cold out here tonight…" Issei pointed out.

Ophis felt her chest shamelessly as she looked at Issei, "What would you recommend? These do seem like they would get in the way."

"I don't know…wear like a corset or something. Maybe a breastplate. Hell even a damn shirt would work!" Issei responded bluntly.

Without wasting a second, Ophis immediately manifested a matching and armored midriff breastplate over her chest.

"What do you think of my new form?" Ophis asked Issei with a halfway interested stare.

' _Damn, she's fucking hot as hell now! This is even more distracting than her being a little girl!'_ Issei thought to himself for a moment.

"Let me put it this way…if you came up to me in that form initially, I might have fallen in love with you," Issei joked.

"What?! Are you hitting on Ophis right now, Issei?!" Tiamat gawked.

"So you like it then?" Ophis asked for confirmation as she didn't seem to understand his joke.

' _Man and I thought Gabriel was out there…Red wasn't kidding. Ophis is socially inept.'_ Issei laughed mentally.

"Yeah, you look like a dragon goddess now," Issei remarked.

"You're such a perv, Issei. I can't believe you talked Ophis into transforming into…that," Vali sighed.

Ophis stared at Issei briefly before responding, "I see now…you're attracted to me and that makes me more desirable to follow? I should have considered this a long time ago. It would have made my recruitment much easier."

"Woah, I never said I was attracted to you! I was just joking about the falling in love thing." Issei shot back immediately.

The Ouroboros dragon frowned slightly as a fraction of a disappointment showed on her features, "So I'm not appealing to you then? Why not? I altered my form to your specifications. You even seemed to have an approving stare just a few seconds ago."

"Look, I'm kind of missing out on a school event right now, so we can wrap this up? What do you want?" Issei changed the subject.

"I sense something on the stairs," Ophis said as she immediately lost interest in Issei. Her eyes then focused on the staircase behind him. She held up her hand briefly as she telekinetically pulled someone up the stairs and through the door with her dark magic.

Issei wasn't surprised that someone would try eavesdropping on him since he practically slipped away with Vali and Tiamat. What did surprise him was the person who did it. He expected someone like Ingvild, or one of the devil heiresses, but to his astonishment it was actually Saji.

"I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear! I just wanted some fresh air and I heard talking up here," the third-year devil immediately tried to defend himself.

Tiamat and Vali looked slightly alarmed by the arrival of Sona's pawn, and immediately got tense. Ophis seemed indifferent however as she looked down at him, "I can sense Vritra in you. Finally, I've found the last piece of him. How convenient that you would show up at a time like this. Your instincts must have guided you here."

"He's got the last Vritra shard?" Tiamat asked Ophis for confirmation.

The dragon goddess nodded her head, "He does."

' _Oh shit…don't even tell me they're about to get Saji involved in this,'_ Issei thought seriously.

' _ **He did mention he had a dragon in his sacred gear a while back, didn't he? I didn't even realize it was Vritra. I suppose it makes sense though…from what I heard the Hindu God Indra split Vritra into 5 sacred gears,'**_ Ddraig added.

"Issei, what the hell is going on up here? Who is she?!" Saji asked with evident concern in his voice.

Issei sighed, "This is the Dragon God Ophis."

"W-what?! What does she want?!" Saji asked Issei with evident fear in his voice.

"I want a lot of things that are too complicated to explain to other beings," Ophis said bluntly.

"Are you going to try and awaken Vritra, Ophis? It might cause complications if the devils or angels detect it." Tiamat said anxiously.

The Dragon God nodded her head, "We'll regroup with the others first. They'll be eager to meet our new recruits anyways."

Before Issei even knew what was happening, the dragon god formed a magical circle around all of them and teleported Issei, Vali, Tiamat, and Saji a considerable distance away from Kuoh.

A short teleportation later, they were now in an isolated area and he had no idea where it was. The sight of a nearby shrine and a forested mountain in the distance instantly led Issei to realize that they were still in Japan.

Saji immediately moved closer towards Issei and tried to whisper to him frantically, "Dude, what is this? Why did she teleport us? Do you have any idea what this is about? Who the hell is Ophis anyways? I've never heard of a dragon god."

"Stay calm and just don't freak out, alright? This isn't the time to explain anything to you." Issei tried to calm the devil.

Looking around curiously, Issei saw a host of figures standing together. Ophis slowly walked over towards them before turning around. The flanking figures each walked up on Ophis' sides and stared Issei and Saji down.

Vali and Tiamat both walked over to Ophis as well which left Issei and Saji alone in front of them. The realization of how dangerous this situation was immediately dawned on Issei when he spotted Crom Cruach standing next to Ophis.

' _Oh fuck me…Crom Cruach?!'_ Issei thought seriously.

' _ **This won't end well…'**_ Ddraig added.

"These are my dragon generals in the Qlippoth. I'm sure you know some of them already." Ophis stated blankly.

"Dragon generals? Are they trying to recruit you for something, Issei?" Saji asked concerned.

Before Issei could answer, Ophis spoke again, "Introduce yourselves everyone."

Some of the dragons had curious looks about Ophis' new appearance but they didn't say anything about it as they found Saji and Issei's presence there more interesting.

Tiamat was the first to speak, "You already know me…I'm the Chaos Karma Dragon, and the Dragon Queen, Tiamat."

"We've met before. I'm Mr. Black, but my real name is Crom Cruach. I am the Crescent Circle Dragon," the Irish dragon followed.

"I am Yamata no Orochi…I am the Venom Blood Dragon. You may call me Orochi if you wish dragon-kin," the dragon standing next to Crom Cruach followed. He looked Japanese like Issei himself and had long black hair with white tips. He seemed slightly feminine due to the shape of his eyes and the warpaint around them. He was thinner than Crom Cruach and was a bit gaunt. His eyes were a blood red color and they had an inviting allure to them. He was wearing traditional Japanese style clothing as well.

Saji was quick to voice his disbelief, "W-Wait…that's THE Orochi? Like the one in the legends?"

"I am indeed," Orochi nodded politely.

The dragon standing next to Tiamat went next, "I am Aži Dahāka…the Diabolism Thousand Dragon and Scourge of the Zoroastrian Gods. Nemesis of Ahura Mazda."

Issei stared at him briefly. He looked like he was from the middle east and shared Tiamat's slightly tanner complexion. His clothing was comparable to ancient Persian armor and he was wearing a cool looking mask to cover his face.

"I am Apophis, the Eclipse Dragon…you might know me better as the arch enemy of the Sun God Ra in the Egyptian pantheon," the next one spoke. Apophis was a brown-skinned man wearing black pharaoh-like robes. He had no hair but wore a cool looking Egyptian headdress. His eyes were a bright silver and he honestly looked the friendliest out of the bunch in Issei's opinion. Like Orochi, he actually seemed to be in approval of Saji and Issei's presence there.

Following him the next one spoke, "I am Ladon, the Insomniac Dragon."

Ladon looked like he was southern European…possibly Mediterranean in appearance. His eyes were red, and his hair was brown.

"You stand before Grendel…the Berserker Dragon," another one introduced himself. He looked like he was twitching a bit randomly and was undoubtedly a bit mentally unstable judging by the weird ways his silver eyes would dart around. His hair was black, and he was relatively pale.

The final one besides Vali almost hissed his name at Issei, "Níðhöggr…Abyss Rage Dragon! Bane of Yggdrasill and the Norns! Enemy of Asgard!"

Níðhöggr looked northern European and was wearing black chainmail armor by the looks of it. It was honestly quite aesthetic and cool in Issei's opinion as it went well with the rest of his armor. His hair was completely white, and his eyes were a bluish green. He looked equally as unfriendly as Grendel.

' _ **Issei, these are all evil dragons…they're all at least dragon king level or above. Tiamat is weaker than half of them if that gives you any ideas of what we're looking at here,'**_ Ddraig warned.

' _Holy shit…I wasn't expecting this. Ophis actually made a full dragon gang before me?! I didn't realize she had this many legendary dragons on her side. Which ones are the strongest, Ddraig?'_ Issei thought both amazed and disturbed. He didn't know what to think of these other dragons, and he found them all slightly intimidating when standing together behind Ophis.

' _ **Looking at this group, I would say Crom Cruach is undeniably the most powerful. He's actually closer to Albion and myself to be honest. Vali with Albion's power is probably around Crom Cruach's level assuming she has Juggernaut drive as well. Apophis and Aži Dahāka were both stronger than Tiamat by a respectable margin last I heard. Grendel, Orochi, Ladon, and Níðhöggr are all in the same tier as Tiamat, though she's been alive for several thousand years and possibly got stronger than them. I haven't seen Tiamat's full power in a long time, but I'd wager she's mid-tier out of this bunch. That's saying something considering she and Fafnir are neck and neck for being the strongest Dragon King,'**_ Ddraig explained.

A brief silence followed as everyone turned towards Vali expectedly. Glancing at Vali now, Ophis spoke to her, "You too, Albion…or Vali. Whatever name you go by now."

Issei and Vali stared at each other seriously as Vali took a deep breath and sighed, "Sorry for not telling you, Issei, but I thought it might be inappropriate considering you're friends with the Sekiryuutei. Plus, people always act different around me when they learn the truth."

During her comment, Issei briefly looked over at Crom Cruach and saw him smiling. The other dragons seemed curious about Vali's remark and stared at Issei interested.

"You know Ddraig? Where is he?!" Níðhöggr demanded.

' _You got a history with Níðhöggr?'_ Issei asked.

Ddraig sighed, _**'Yeah I kicked his ass a long time ago. Honestly, I thought he was dead. Most of these dragons here should be dead. I know for a fact that the Shinto God Susanoo killed Yamata no Orochi. Apophis was killed by Ra. Ladon was killed by Heracles. Aži Dahāka warred against the Zoroastrian Gods in Persia before dying somehow. As far as I'm aware, Crom Cruach is the only one of them that wasn't actually killed.'**_

Issei ignored Níðhöggr's agitation as he watched white wings shoot out of Vali's back with the glowing blue shine. She continued with the calm confession a moment later, "I am the Vanishing Dragon…the White Dragon Empress. Host of the Heavenly Dragon of Supremacy…Albion."

Saji glanced over at Issei concerned as he was undoubtedly wondering what Issei's reaction to all of this was.

' _He probably already knew and is wondering how I would react to it,'_ Issei thought as he briefly looked at Saji.

Dead silence followed for several long and painful seconds as Issei then stared at Vali. Finally he sighed, "I already knew that. Gremory's queen told me the other day despite the others not wanting me to know."

Saji's face went wide with horror upon hearing that news from Issei. The delinquent ignored the devil's worried expression as he kept his attention on Vali.

"You already knew?! I'm somewhat amazed you didn't start treating me differently once you found out then. Why didn't you want to ask me about it?" Vali wondered.

"Why would I? If you wanted me to know, you would have just told me. I can respect people keeping things to themselves," Issei followed up.

' _Any second now, Crom Cruach or Ophis is going to call me out for what I am in front of every last one of these fuckers. There's no way Ophis doesn't already know considering she was capable of detecting Red,'_ Issei thought dreadfully.

"Hmph…well now you see why things aren't so simple anymore," Vali replied. Despite her comment he didn't entirely understand her logic.

Ophis glanced at Issei and addressed him after a momentary pause, "Introduce yourself to everyone."

"My name is Issei Hyoudou," the dragon said simply.

Aži Dahāka turned his head towards Ophis, "What makes this whelp worth recruiting anyways? I thought we were looking for the last shard of Vritra…Who is this Issei Hyoudou, and what makes him worthy enough to join us?"

"He's very powerful. Easily as strong as most of you," Ophis replied blankly as she focused intensely on Issei.

"Aži, this is the one that attacked the Underworld and fought the super devil, Ajuka Beelzebub," Apophis spoke up calmly.

"Some devils have been calling him the Crimson Nightmare Dragon…" Tiamat added causing Aži to nod his head in acknowledgement.

"Impressive title…it sounds better than the Red Dragon of Kuoh," Crom Cruach spoke up condescendingly.

' _Go fuck yourself, Crom Cruach…'_ Issei thought as he kept a blank expression on his face.

"As for Vritra…I brought the last piece of him right here with us. He was conveniently nearby," Ophis explained as she pointed at Saji.

The devil shook his head for a moment horrified, "W-wait, what do you want with me?! Can somebody please explain to me what's happening?!"

None of the dragons spoke a word in response which only caused Saji to get even more worried. Moments later, a purple and black aura enveloped him as Ophis dragged him closer towards the group. She then manifested four purple orbs in front of Saji.

They began to orbit around Saji causing him extreme pain as they magically stunned his body.

"What the fuck are you doing to him?!" Issei demanded seriously as he took a step forward. Every single one of the evil dragons tensed up briefly when he did so. Grendel even sent him a nasty glare.

Ophis ignored Issei's outburst as she turned towards Vali, "I can't directly combine sacred gears…can you use your Longinus to fuse them and awaken Vritra?"

"Why do I have to do it?" Vali asked.

"It takes divine power to actually alter sacred gears. Albion and Ddraig both have divine power that they stole from God. When you were contained into a Longinus, you kept this divine power. It is what allows you to absorb and alter sacred gears," Ophis explained simply.

' _I never thought to combine sacred gears…'_ Issei mused mentally.

' _ **I knew that already, but it never seemed relevant to mention to you. Theoretically you could add another sacred gear you liked to the Boosted Gear. It's also why transfer works,'**_ Ddraig replied.

Vali sighed as she nodded, "I suppose I can then…"

Issei and the rest of them watched as Vali walked towards Saji. The sacred gear around his arm was now out as it painfully constricted him with dark magic. Vali manifested part of her balance breaker as she touched his arm.

Albion's voice sounded shortly afterward, _**"Awaken, Vritra!"**_

A surge of Vali's power engulfed Saji briefly causing the orbiting purple orbs to shape into other sacred gears. They immediately clamped onto various parts of Saji's body causing him to scream in agony. Vali took a step backward as she watched the metamorphosis slowly take over Saji's body.

"ARGHHH! Issei, help me!" Saji cried out in pain as the dark magic completely engulfed his body into scale mail balance breaker.

Vritra's voice sounded a moment later, _**"What the?! Where am I?!"**_

"Welcome back, Vritra. You've been split apart and sealed for a while," Tiamat addressed him.

"What the hell is this?!" Saji asked as he looked around at his scale mail form. He appeared to be in less pain now but was no less hysterical.

Ophis channeled magic into him a moment later forcing the scale mail to break off and Saji to return to his normal form.

His gauntlet was still there, and Vritra's voice sounded through it with confusion, _**"This dark power…Is that you, Ophis? And…what are all of these dragons doing here?"**_

" _ **Ophis is forming an army of dragons. She gathered 4 of the 5 pieces of your soul scattered around the world into sacred gears and combined it with this devil boy that you now reside within. He held the fifth piece. You are now in a similar situation as Ddraig and me, Vritra,"**_ Albion explained to the Dragon King.

" _ **Albion…so you're involved in this too? I thank you for restoring me, but I take it that this wasn't simply for charity. You want me to join this dragon army, don't you?"**_ Vritra asked.

"Join us, Vritra. We're all following Ophis," Tiamat added.

Vritra was silent for a moment as he looked around, _**"Why though?"**_

"For the betterment of dragon kind! Ophis has empowered all of us!" Tiamat tried to persuade her fellow Dragon King.

" _ **Albion, Tiamat, Ophis…allied with the evil dragons? How strange…"**_ Vritra noted.

Tiamat shook her head, "It's not strange, Vritra…we're finally uniting as kin rather than fighting amongst ourselves."

" _ **Where is Ddraig then?"**_ Vritra countered.

Albion quickly answered him, _**"We're still searching for Ddraig…he's been hiding for the past century by my estimation."**_

" _ **If Ddraig has no wish to be involved, then why should I? I appreciate you restoring me, but I don't really see the point in you recruiting me. I'm not very useful in this state,"**_ Vritra replied.

 **'** _ **Why hasn't Ophis mentioned me or Great Red yet? Surely she can sense that power within you? Crom Cruach knows the truth too. Why hasn't he told anyone?'**_ Ddraig thought curiously.

Issei glanced at Crom Cruach for a moment, _'I don't know, but there's also no way Crom Cruach kept it a secret from Ophis even if she can't tell. Vali and Albion still don't seem to know for some reason. Neither does Tiamat. Do you think it's possible that Ophis and Crom Cruach just didn't tell them?_ '

' _ **Hard to say…'**_ Ddraig sighed, _**'but it looks like your cover is just about done. They might call us out any second now.'**_

"What did you dragons do to me?!" Saji demanded as he interrupted their conversation.

Vali calmly explained the situation to him, "We gave you the other 4 Vritra Sacred Gears and turned yours into a Pseudo-Longinus. It also awakened the dragon King Vritra as you have all 5 pieces of his soul in your body. You should be grateful…you're a lot stronger now."

"I always knew you two were trouble, but what are you building a damn dragon army for?!" Saji demanded.

" _ **So this is my host then? What is your name, devil?"**_ Vritra asked Saji after a brief, awkward silence followed his question.

"Saji Genshirou…I'm a low-class devil and a pawn of Sona Sitri," he answered.

Ophis stared at him blankly before speaking, "You work for me now…as does Issei Hyoudou."

"You're not forcing him or me to do anything, Ophis…" Issei shot back as he walked over towards Saji and held an arm up gesturing him to move back.

Saji looked relieved by Issei having his back, but also concerned that the delinquent was standing up to the other dragons.

The Dragon God tilted her head at him, "You object?"

"Damn right I do..." Issei countered.

"Let's discuss terms then," Ophis replied passively.

 _'_ _This is it, Ddraig! Get ready…we're about to be in for the fight of our lives,'_ Issei thought seriously.

' _ **Issei, don't do anything stupid! You can't fight all of them at once! We're not stronger than Ophis, and you would get easily swarmed if you tried to fight more than 2 or 3 of the others at a time!'**_ Ddraig interjected seriously.

Before Issei could commit to a decision, fate seemed to be on his side today as a surge of power quickly distracted everyone there. All of the dragons turned and looked up as they saw a thundering figure crash through the sky like lightning and land in front of them.

His arrival was followed by the moonlight beaming down with another individual. A third arrival came as a blinding light in the shape of a wolf running through the sky. The wolf quickly manifested into a human looking figure moments later.

"By what right do you evil monsters dare to set foot upon these holy lands!? Japan is under our protection and your continued defilement here will be taken seriously as an act of war against the Shinto Gods you foul dragons!" the first figure announced with aggressive hatred.

' _Shinto Gods? You have got to be kidding me…'_ Issei thought disbelievingly as he looked over the three gods present. The one in the front was dressed in something one would expect a samurai to wear. He had two katanas sheathed to his side. His hair was long and black, and he had had a mask on. The mask had a long-shaped nose, which made it fairly obvious which god he was.

' _Is that, Susanoo? Funny, I always wondered if the Shinto Gods noticed all the weird supernatural traffic around Japan. It sounds like he doesn't like dragons too much,'_ Issei thought as he looked at the other two.

' _ **Most gods hate dragons, Issei…this isn't going to end well. The gods will probably lose their minds when they hear about Ophis resurrecting and recruiting all of the most powerful dragons in the world,'**_ Ddraig stated seriously.

Other than Susanoo, the other male god had silver-white hair and a calm face. He was dressed very impressively in an armored silver and white attire. He had a crescent moon shaped symbol on his crown and on parts of his clothing. His eyes were the color of starlight and looked very captivating in Issei's opinion. He was likely Tsukuyomi the Shinto god of the moon.

The final figure was obviously Amaterasu, the Japanese goddess of the sun. She was adorned in the traditional white and red colors of Japan with golden jewelry here and there. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of gold.

' _I wonder what they'll do…'_ Issei thought to himself as he watched Ophis' dragon gang all react to the Shinto Gods.

"Susanoo! I was wondering if you still lived…" Orochi hissed towards the storm god.

The god scoffed as he reached for the hilt of one of his swords, "Yamata no Orochi…you should be dead. Your disgusting existence here will not be tolerated! I will see you destroyed forever this time! I do not know by what means you have come back to life, but I will not overlook it you evil serpent!"

"Wait, Susanoo…those are all very powerful dragons. I advise caution," Tsukuyomi stopped him as he passively looked over the evil dragons.

"This is a most unwelcome arrival. What a bother," Ophis remarked passively. Her complete stoicism and lack of concern greatly angered Susanoo.

The storm god growled at her, "And who might you be girl!?"

"Watch your tone, Susanoo! You're speaking to Ophis, the Infinite Ouroboros Dragon God! She could erase you in seconds!" Orochi hissed.

"Dragon God?! What kind of a joke is that?! So the snake has found himself a new master, has he? How pitiful…" Susanoo scoffed.

"So these are the Shinto Gods huh? It's been a while since I killed a god," Crom Cruach said darkly.

"Ophis! Let me kill them!" Grendel demanded as he kicked up dirt with his feet like he was about to charge.

"As if you even could," Susanoo taunted him.

"ARGGHH!" Grendel growled hatefully as he charged in. He barely made it two steps before a purple and black aura enveloped him and froze him in place.

"I didn't tell you to attack yet, Grendel…relax," Ophis stated as she effortlessly held the berserker dragon in place.

Tsukuyomi turned towards Ophis and huffed, "So...the Infinite Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis, has been recruiting an army and resurrecting all of the dead evil dragons? How curious…what are you doing in Japan?"

"That's none of your business. I'll kindly ask that you leave now," Ophis dismissed them emotionlessly without a care in the world.

"It is our business when you monsters set foot in our land and congregate in a large gathering like this! What are you planning?!" Susanoo demanded.

"You don't want to start a war that you can't win. I have no interest in fighting gods, but I won't hesitate to make examples out of you," Ophis said with a stoic and uncaring voice.

"How dare you mock our strength, you abyssal serpent of the void! I will see all of you annihilated!" Susanoo exclaimed as he drew one of his swords and charged in at Ophis.

He never quite made it before Orochi blocked him and blasted him back with a heavy venom breath. The dragon glared hatefully at the god, "Give me a reason! I've longed for my revenge ever since I came back to life! Ophis is the only thing keeping me from murdering you, Susanoo!"

' _Yo, let's get the fuck out of here, Ddraig while they're all distracted,'_ Issei thought incredulously.

His ambitions of escape were immediately shattered when Amaterasu stepped forward a moment later, "If the other gods in other mythologies hear about this, then they will all join forces to hunt you creatures down. I suggest you leave unless you wish to deal with the likes of the Hindu, Greek, Norse, Zoroastrian, and Egyptian pantheons as well. You may believe yourselves stronger than our pantheon, but how well would you fare against the likes of Shiva or even Thor? I also wonder what the devils and angels might think of this dragon gathering."

"Curse Thor!" Níðhöggr hissed hatefully.

"Long have dragons and gods been eternal rivals, but our objective has nothing to do with your kind. I abandoned my grudge for Ra long ago…my only purpose now is to follow Ophis. Denounce our existence and demonize us if you wish, but you are no match for the Infinite Dragon God. It would be wise for you to leave us be," Apophis threatened.

Ophis nodded before speaking blankly, "Even with all of those gods at your disposal, defeating me would still be impossible. You really don't want to do that. I came to Japan looking for Vritra and Ddraig."

"Vritra? Isn't that the one Indra sealed away? He certainly wouldn't approve of your interference in restoring him," Amaterasu noted.

"I really don't care what he approves of. He means nothing in all of this. Indra can't stop me," Ophis replied carelessly.

"You arrogant little brat!" Susanoo growled.

"However...I don't really want to bother with fighting all the gods and losing half of my dragon generals. It would be counterproductive to my goals. Take solace in knowing that they have nothing to do with you. It would be in your best interest to back off and mind your own affairs. I can assure you that we are not here to attack your land. Think carefully before you start a war with me. We will even leave for now," Ophis continued stoically.

Moments later, Ophis enveloped all of them in a large portal before teleporting away. Issei was thankful too as he did not want to be anywhere near the three gods anymore. Shortly after being teleported, Issei found himself back on the rooftop at Kuoh Academy.

He looked around curiously when he noticed Saji, Vali, and Tiamat were all missing, _'Huh…why'd she just send me back here alone I wonder?'_

' _ **Who knows, but we dodged a major incident back there. Even as strong as you are, you wouldn't stand a chance fighting Ophis and all of them,'**_ Ddraig pointed out.

He nearly flinched when he turned around and saw Ophis standing there too. Issei quickly regained his bearings and spoke to Ophis, "Where are Vali and Tiamat? Where's Saji?"

"They're with the others still. I wanted to speak to you alone for a minute before I left. Sorry that we were interrupted back there. Anyways, I have been studying you for a little while now, and I must admit I find you interesting," Ophis began.

"Interesting?" Issei repeated uncertainly, "can you be more specific?"

"You're a lot like me," she explained casually.

Issei deadpanned at her, "No I'm not…I have emotions and I hate politics. We're nothing alike."

"I also dislike politics, drama, and war. Like you, I just want to be blissfully separate from it all. Believe me, this entire endeavor with the Khaos Brigade has been quite the chore for me to deal with," Ophis said blankly, "but I desire one thing above all else. Would you like to know what it is?"

"Sure, why not?" Issei shrugged.

Ophis sighed, "Silence…"

The delinquent narrowed his gaze at her briefly, "So you're starting a huge war to get it? What the hell kind of logic is that? The only way you'll get silence from that is by killing everyone."

Ophis tilted her head slightly, "Hmm…I never thought to try that instead. Killing everyone would grant me that scenario outside of the Dimensional Gap. That's a good backup plan."

' _Great…now I just convinced her to genocide reality if she doesn't get what she wants…'_ Issei thought incredulously.

"So you want the Dimensional Gap for yourself? Is that why you want to kill Great Red? Vali mentioned something about it to me." Issei asked Ophis for confirmation.

"What do you know of Great Red?" Ophis asked Issei.

Part of him felt uncertain about her question since it could imply that she was aware of his relation to Red. Testing the waters slowly, Issei shrugged, "I assumed all dragons knew about the Great Red Dragon of the Apocalypse. He's the most powerful being in the universe…he's even stronger than you."

"My motivations are to remove him from the Dimensional Gap. Whether he dies or not is inconsequential. It once belonged to me but has since become his 'territory' as he claims. Being subjected to this annoying and tiresome noise has become exhausting and unbearable for me. I wish to return to the peaceful silence," Ophis explained.

"I suppose I can't blame you for wanting that…I like the dimensional gap too. It's a peaceful place…at least for dragons. Isn't there some way you can find your peace and quiet somewhere else though? You're a dragon god...you can create your own reality, can't you?" Issei shook his head.

"That is the exact same thing Great Red said to me after he rudely ' _threw my ass out_ ' as he said in his own words. It's strange…I had once thought it possible for he and I to coexist there, but he makes too much noise and he doesn't like me because I'm ' _lame_ ' as he stated," Ophis noted.

Issei shook his head, "Look…I have nothing against you Ophis, but I think you're going about this the wrong way. You're starting this massive mythological war and trying to kill the greatest dragon in the universe just so you can live in eternal silence? Do you have any idea how boring and stupid that sounds?"

"It's not something I would expect you to fully understand, Ddraig," Ophis said with distant emptiness in her voice.

The delinquent wasn't surprised by her knowledge of Ddraig, but he found it odd how she referred to him as Ddraig.

"Actually, my name is Issei. I'm Ddraig's host," he corrected Ophis.

She stared at him for a moment as she leaned in, "You smell like Ddraig, you have Ddraig's powers, and Ddraig is a part of your body and soul. You are Ddraig…but you're like Albion and you prefer to go by your host name I assume? It works well for your cover. I will continue to call you Issei then."

"I have a question for you, Ophis…if you knew I was the Red Dragon Emperor, then why didn't you tell Vali or Tiamat back there? Crom Cruach knows too and he didn't say anything either," Issei asked.

Ophis answered him emotionlessly, "I ordered Crom Cruach not to say anything. I also kept it to myself because I didn't want those two trying to fight you unnecessarily. Dragon rivalries are a difficult thing to manage. Making the evil dragons work together is not simple, and I imagine it won't be any easier making you and Albion work together. I intended on transitioning you into the Qlippoth first."

Issei felt a bit confused at the situation, _'Something doesn't make sense to me Ddraig…why does Ophis know about you, but not about me having Great Red's power? Surely, she must have noticed the similarity if she watched the Underworld news, right? You would think she could tell at this range considering Red had to leave when she got close.'_

' _ **That is unsettling to think about. It is possible that she does know about Red and isn't mentioning it to you.'**_ Ddraig sighed.

' _That would be weird though. She has no reason not to ask me about Great Red if she could sense his power and blood within me. Ophis seems kind of single-minded and blunt. I don't take her for the kind of person to make elaborate schemes. Maybe she can't tell because of you?'_ Issei thought.

' _ **Possible…but don't jump to that conclusion until you're certain she doesn't know,'**_ Ddraig replied.

"How exactly did you convince all of those other dragons to join you?" Issei asked.

"To start, I resurrected them with Rizevim Lucifer's help. I then offered them whatever they wanted in exchange for serving me. Most of them wanted power and revenge, but a few seem to think I have some type of great purpose for them. They're convenient underlings, but I don't intend on keeping their company after I've accomplished my goals. They're free to do whatever they want after I succeed and if they survive," Ophis replied.

"So you're using them then? What the hell makes you think I would ever want to follow you when you give zero fucks about them or me? You're a dragon god…of course they think following you will help their situations! Hell Tiamat is following you because she believes it will help dragon kind as a whole!" the delinquent growled.

"What can I offer in order to convince you to join me?" Ophis asked completely unfazed by the point he was trying to drive.

"You have nothing I want, Ophis. I could never respect or follow someone who doesn't care about me or your own kind!" Issei said angrily.

Ophis seemed indifferent to his words at first, but frowned slightly a moment later, "You want me to ' _care_ ' about you? Nobody has ever asked me for that before. It's not something I understand."

"That's probably why Great Red thinks you're lame…" Issei dissed her.

Her eyes widened slightly as she showed some more emotion. Her voice remained passive still, "How could you possibly know what Great Red thinks? What makes you think he feels anything other than apathy and annoyance towards other beings? He only cares about himself. He isn't much different than I am in that regard."

' _ **I think that confirms it, Issei…she doesn't actually know about your relation to Great Red. I don't know how, but we should consider this somewhat fortunate,'**_ Ddraig sighed in relief.

 _'Red had to have done something...that's the only explanation,'_ he replied.

Issei shrugged at Ophis' question, "I don't know, but I personally think you're lame because you don't give a shit about anything other than your 'silence.' Listen, I'm a bit indifferent about some stuff too, but I still care about the people who have my back and show me respect. I look out for the weaker beings that place their faith and trust in me because I'm not heartless. These other dragons trust that you're looking out for them and you don't care whether they live or die."

' _If Ophis doesn't actually give a shit about them, then I can convince Tiamat and Vali to give up on following her hopefully,'_ Issei thought for a moment.

"You have a very strange request, but I will try to give you what you want. I will work on ' _caring_ ' about you and other dragons. Is there anything else you want in addition to that? If it's within my power to give, I will in exchange for your allegiance." Ophis responded.

' _Wait…what? Does she think that was my request? I was ranting to her.'_ Issei thought disbelievingly.

"Wait, Ophis! I do have something else that I want from you," Issei said seriously.

The Infinite Dragon Goddess perked up with interest, "Yes?"

"Just leave Great Red alone and don't try to kill him. If you do that, I'll follow you. Hell, I'll even help you find somewhere quiet to live." Issei requested.

She looked at him for a long and awkward moment before responding, "Avoiding Great Red defeats the purpose of recruiting you to begin with. Why would you request something like that? I fail to see how it benefits you."

Issei simply looked away before answering, "Think about the aftermath for a moment and all the people rejoicing over the death of the Apocalypse Dragon. What would stop them from wanting to kill you next?"

"They would never be able to kill me since I'm too powerf-" Ophis didn't get to finish her sentence.

"You're not stronger than Great Red is," Issei cut her off, "and if they saw Great Red die, then they would think every last dragon in the universe was killable. You'd be next and then it'd be me. What would stop them from wiping out the rest of us then? Half of these dumbasses that follow your Khaos Brigade don't even like dragons…do you seriously think they're just going to leave you alone after it's all said and done? Especially if you were weakened after fighting Great Red…you'd be vulnerable enough to kill. Have you seriously even given any thought to this shit?!"

Ophis stared at him and didn't speak a single word in response for almost a minute. She seemed more focused and less aloof now as she finally shook her head, "I need time to think things over…your logic is somewhat valid. We should continue this conversation later."

"Take your time then…and do you mind bringing Saji back too? He's technically still a servant of the devils. They'll ask questions if he goes missing." Issei stated.

Ophis sighed, "Vritra always did like Ddraig…I suppose it would be appropriate for you to look after him for now."

Several seconds later, the individual in question was teleported onto the rooftop. Saji looked like he had just been through mental trauma as he immediately tried to run away. Ophis froze him in place with her magic before he could leave.

"I'll be back in a few days with an answer for you, Issei Hyoudou." Ophis spoke calmly.

"What about Vali and Tiamat?" Issei asked her seriously.

"They are needed for a new mission I have planned. The next time you see them, I will have reached my decision. Whether or not I accept your request, you or I will be telling them the truth on my next visit. I won't tell them for now…they don't need distractions." Ophis explained to him before teleporting away.

As she left, her magical hold on Saji released. Issei quickly grabbed him before he could leave. He looked horrified now as Issei kept him from fleeing.

"We have to tell someone about this!" Saji said urgently as he tried to move.

Issei immediately yanked him back and threw the devil to the ground before planting a foot on his chest. He spoke seriously a moment later, "We can't do that…"

"Why not?! The president would understand if I just-" Saji immediately stopped talking as Issei held up his arm and channeled golden and red magic over him.

"I'm shielding your scent and power, Saji…and you're not going to say anything, got that?" Issei said darkly.

Saji looked up at Issei from his back confused, "Why though? We just got kidnapped by a bunch of maniac dragons!"

" _ **In case you haven't realized yet, Saji, you're a dragon now too. My residual power has already begun to alter your body, and dragon cells develop within hosts of draconic sacred gears the more powerful they are. I was once a Dragon King, which means your dragon blood will eventually suppress even your devil blood,"**_ Vritra explained to his host.

"Listen Saji, this isn't the type of thing you want to tell people. I'm in the exact same boat as you are. Ophis was here to recruit me and you apparently. You are only going to get people hurt if you try and get them involved in this. It's our problem…and we're going to deal with it." Issei added.

" _ **Issei Hyoudou, I do not believe I know you. Can you explain to me why Ophis is gathering a dragon army?"**_ Vritra asked Issei directly.

The delinquent nodded, "She's hoping to gather enough forces to defeat Great Red."

" _ **Unusual...that sounds like it has a very high attrition rate. A battle between Ophis and Great Red would kill most beings in the crossfire. Although she might have an edge if she empowered all of her followers with Infinity snakes."**_ Vritra replied.

Issei sighed, "Ophis is coming back in a few days. That means we're either going to have to fight her or join her...assuming she can't see reason."

"S-So…is Tiamat actually loyal to the Underworld if she's serving Ophis?" Saji asked Issei.

The delinquent shrugged, "I don't know what she's doing, but I was hoping to talk her and Vali out of this crap."

"So what am I supposed to do now? Just wait until Ophis comes back and forces me into her dragon army?" Saji asked desperately.

" _ **I have no desire to follow her…I don't want any involvement in this disaster."**_ Vritra sighed.

"You don't want to join them either, right Issei? I saw that you stood up to them earlier…would you have really fought all of them?" Saji asked seriously.

Issei stared at Saji briefly in silence before finally answering him, "Yes."

" _ **You must be very powerful, Issei Hyoudou…I admit I find it confusing how such an unknown dragon is so strong. For Ophis to take a personal interest in you...that is no trivial thing. Your bravery and willingness to oppose them was also quite admirable,"**_ Vritra added.

"Having this dragon inside of me is freaking weird! How am I ever going to get used to this?!" Saji wondered.

Issei sighed, "You'll get used to it…I did."

"What do you mean, Issei? You're just a half-breed dragon, right?" Saji asked confused.

Holding up his arm, Issei's boosted gear manifested into a Red Gauntlet over his arm. As it took shape in a red and green light Issei spoke, "I am also the Red Dragon Emperor…so trust me when I say that I know exactly what you're going through right now."

"W-what?! B-but didn't your dad say the Sekiryuutei was off training somewhere?" Saji deadpanned.

"He lied to cover me…the reason he left is because Ophis was coming here," Issei replied.

The blond devil stared at Issei's boosted gear in complete disbelief, "They say you're already dragon king level…and you have one of the heavenly dragons inside of you too?! Just how fucking strong are you?!"

"Use your imagination," Issei repeated Red's words.

"That's insane…wait a minute. Why don't Vali Lucifer and Tiamat know? Weren't they here looking for him…err you?" Saji asked.

Issei shrugged, "I've been keeping it a secret for years, Saji. I purposely never told anyone just so shit like tonight wouldn't happen in my life. I just wanted to get through highschool first…"

"Who is your dad, Issei? He said he was stronger than you are…" Saji trailed off.

"Great Red…the Dragon of the Apocalypse. He left so Ophis wouldn't fight him and destroy the Earth. Ophis wants to kill Great Red and reclaim the Dimensional Gap…I tried to convince her that it was a stupid idea to do that and now she's giving us a few days while she thinks it over. Got any other questions?" Issei answered sternly.

"W-w-what?! T-that's impossible!" Saji looked horrified.

Vritra however seemed amazed by this information, _**"So you're Great Red's son and you carry Ddraig's soul within you? How fascinating. That would certainly explain why you're opposed to Ophis."**_

Ddraig spoke through Issei's Boosted Gear a moment later, _**"Issei and I have been preparing for the inevitability of this day for a long time."**_

" _ **Forget what I said about not wanting to be involved…the fact that you're with Great Red changes things. I would much rather be on your side, Ddraig…and the Great Red God-Emperor himself,"**_ Vritra replied.

"You once asked me to help you train Saji…can you think of a better reason to get stronger now?" Issei asked the blonde devil still on his back.

Saji gulped for a moment as he sat up and looked at Issei seriously, "Yeah…I don't want my friends getting hurt in all of this. I don't to be forced into this army."

"Good enough for me. I'll train you on how to be a dragon, Saji…but you can't tell anyone," Issei nodded as he extended his hand. Saji stared at it briefly before taking Issei's hand and getting to his feet.

"When should we train?" Saji wondered.

"We'll start tomorrow, alright? Just don't use your sacred gear much until then and for the love of tits, don't tell anyone about me, Ophis, or your new transformation. You snitch and you're on your own," the delinquent explained.

Saji nodded, "Of course…I guess we should go back to the parent teacher event now."

"Yeah…oh and before we go back," the brunette responded, "make sure you speak to him telepathically in public, Vritra…"

" _ **As you say,"**_ Vritra replied.

Wasting no time, Issei immediately receded his sacred gear and shielded its power again.

As the two dragons walked back down the stairs together, Saji glanced over at Issei again, "So…what's this about your hero blood then? Do you know who you're related to on that side?"

"Honestly, I don't…" Issei shrugged.

"Your dad never told you?" Saji asked.

The delinquent shook his head, "No, but I'm sure he will eventually."

"So that loud and boisterous guy from earlier was really the Great Red? I never would have guessed. Why does he act like that?" Saji wondered.

Issei chuckled, "Who knows, but that's what makes him so awesome. My main goal in life is to be like him."

"He really seemed to like Tsubasa, I noticed…they were talking the entire time you were meeting Sona-kaichou's parents," Saji noted.

"Oh really? That's strange…maybe I'll ask her about that," Issei noted.

"Listen, Issei…thanks for having my back in all of this. I used to think you were a complete asshole. I'm glad I was wrong. The fact that you're as powerful as you are and you're still able to be friends with people…it just makes me feel more reassured. I'm glad I got you backing me up in this whole thing. I'd have been fucked if they caught me when you weren't around," Saji lowered his head.

"Yeah no problem man…let's get back to this party and try to pretend like this shit didn't happen. You go down there first and I'll wait a few minutes. It'll look weird if we show back up together," Issei nudged Saji forward.

"Alright man…by the way, where are we going to train exactly?" Saji asked.

"I'll let you know at school tomorrow," Issei replied.

"One more thing before I go...should we be concerned about the Shinto Gods? They saw us with Ophis and those evil dragons after all..." Saji wondered.

Issei shook his head, "Don't think about that right now…stress and agitation will cause your new dragon powers to fluctuate. We'll figure it out later."

Without another word, Saji went downstairs first and left him alone for a moment. Issei sat on the stairs once he was gone and let out a sigh, _'Man…this is NOT how I pictured tonight going.'_

' _ **I'm amazed you told him the truth about everything…'**_ Ddraig said surprised.

' _Yeah well if we're both in this together, then he needs to know that he can trust me. More importantly…Vritra needed to know that he could trust us,'_ Issei explained.

' _ **Appealing to Vritra was a good idea. Maybe he can back us up later. Are you sure you can trust that devil boy though?'**_ Ddraig asked.

Issei sighed, _'I hope so.'_

"Hey Issei-kun…" Ingvild's voice sounded from behind.

Issei glanced back at her curiously, "Ingvild? I was wondering where you were at. I was looking for you earlier."

"Y-yeah…I'm sorry. I was just too shy to approach with all those people following you around. It must be nice having others admire you like that…" she smiled weakly as she sat next to him on the stairs.

"What are you doing up here though?" he asked her.

"I went to look for you shortly after I saw Vali-san and Tiamat-san invite you upstairs. I assumed it would be a better chance to talk some more away from the crowds. I noticed Genshirou-san was also heading that way and figured it would be more subtle to follow behind him. I don't think he was aware of you three going up there, but I was curious to see if he was trying to spy on you guys. I managed to follow him up the stairs and I saw him get pulled out onto the roof. I watched for a bit until you all got teleported away by that pretty girl. I was shocked when I found out she was Ophis. I have been sitting here a bit depressed ever since. I didn't think you were coming back tonight," she elaborated.

"You saw all of that, huh?" Issei confirmed as he looked away briefly, "How were you able to conceal yourself from me or Ophis though?"

Ingvild shrugged, "I…I'm not sure to be perfectly honest, but I think it has something to do with my Longinus. Nereid Kyrie can affect dragons too from what I've been able to test. That in addition to my magical suppression with water is how I avoided your detection for the past year. Still…Ophis might have been able to detect me if I had been any closer or gotten there sooner. I kept my distance the moment I saw Genshirou-san get pulled in. Where did she take you guys and what happened exactly? I noticed Vali-san and Tiamat-san didn't come back. Is everything okay? I'm worried about you, Issei-kun."

"Don't be…everything's going to be fine. Just let me handle this and don't get caught in the crossfire," Issei stated calmly.

"I don't want to just be a bystander or a dead weight friend, Issei-kun…I want to help you. I'm dead serious about that training you talked about the other night. I…I also don't know what to do with my Longinus, but I know it can be useful to you if I train with it," she said emotionally.

To Issei, she was still sort of a stranger and it was weird seeing her this emotionally concerned about him. But he had to remind himself that Ingvild had been stalking him for over a year and likely had a skewed perception on the matter.

"Alright, Ingvild…tomorrow I'll start training you three girls and Saji," Issei nodded.

"Saji too huh? I heard he had the dragon Vritra in him. You trust him now?" Ingvild wondered.

Issei nodded, "Yeah, he had one of the five Vritra sacred gears. Ophis gave him the other four and Vali activated and transferred them into his body. It awakened Vritra. I told Saji the truth because I want him to trust me and keep this on the down low for now."

"I see…well Genshirou-san seems nice enough. Maybe he'll make a good ally for you…or us I guess I could say," Ingvild said hopefully.

The brunette changed the subject after a brief pause, "So, what did I miss while I was gone?"

"Not too much. That Riser Phenex guy came in to apologize to Rias Gremory and her peerage. They were also looking around for you. In fact, quite a few people were asking about you while you were gone. I believe your friends Irina and Xenovia are still downstairs. They're a bit concerned last I checked. You might want to go see them," Ingvild told him.

"Yeah, it's probably been long enough. I'm going to head back down there. You coming?" Issei asked as he stood up and took a step down the stairs.

Ingvild looked a bit nervous, "I'm still not ready for them to know about me yet. I'd rather get a bit stronger first so I don't become a target. I'll do anything I can to lessen the burden on you…"

"I appreciate that then…I'll try to catch up with you on the way home. I'm buying a new house soon. You're welcome to come shopping with me," Issei told the half-devil.

Ingvild lit up with joy, "R-really? You want me to come with you?"

"Yeah sure…if we're going to be friends, I should probably get to know you a bit better anyways," Issei replied.

"I'd be happy to go. I'll find you when you leave here tonight," she beamed.

"Sounds like a plan…see ya in a bit," Issei waved as he walked back downstairs.

Upon returning to the main area, Issei was quick to notice it was far less interesting than before. He decided it was probably a good idea to go find Riser and Rias assuming they were still there.

It didn't take him long to locate them as he walked up towards the large group. They all perked up with interest at Issei's arrival.

"Issei-chan, where have you been?! I thought you left for the night!" Serafall demanded as she charged him from the side. She immediately clamped onto one of his arms as tightly as she could.

"I just needed some fresh air," Issei dismissed her concerns as he looked around.

Riser quickly waved at Issei, "Glad to see you're still here. I was hoping I'd run into you again tonight."

"Come meet Rias-chan's parents, Issei-chan!" Serafall tried to drag Issei further into the group where Rias was standing.

Riser and several of the others followed behind them as Issei and Serafall came up to the Gremorys. Issei looked them over for a moment curiously. One was a red-haired man with a light goatee and the other was a woman with brown hair and a striking resemblance to Rias herself. Her eyes were purple however instead of the Gremory family's trademark blue.

"Nice to meet you in person, Issei Hyoudou. I'm Zeoticus Gremory…Rias' father and Head of the Gremory Family. This is my wife Venelana Gremory…formely Venelana Bael," Zeoticus introduced himself with a polite nod.

Rias spoke up a moment later, "I'm glad you're still here, Issei. I was hoping you would have time to meet my parents."

"Yeah, they look a lot like you," Issei stated the obvious as he looked over Rias' parents.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Issei Hyoudou. As a mother, you have my eternal gratitude for looking out for my daughter. My son Sirzechs assured us that you were willing to look out for Rias and Sona as well as their peerages. That's comforting to know. I apologize if you aren't fond of devils, but we of the Gremory Household have no wish to be on bad terms with you," Venelana spoke up respectfully as she bowed her head.

"I admit I had my doubts about you when I first saw you in my daughter's Rating Game. It was even more concerning when I learned of your assassination of Diodora Astaroth. Both Rias and Sirzechs have assured me that you're a good person though…and I must say I truly believe it now. Even the youngest Phenex boy has spoken highly of you. That's astonishing considering how you injured him in the Rating Game," Zeoticus stated.

"How exactly did you two come to good terms?" Rias asked Issei directly as she looked over at Riser still in disbelief that he was in the vicinity of the dragon.

"Riser came by my house and apologized to me," Issei explained simply.

Rias looked a bit shocked still, "That's what he said…but I'm shocked you said he could come here tonight. He apologized to me as well. Was that your doing?"

Before Issei could answer, Riser did first, "Issei encouraged me to make amends with you as well. I know I've said it already, but I am truly sorry for the way I acted towards you, Rias."

' _I never told him that…'_ Issei thought incredulously.

' _ **I think he's just trying to make you look good,'**_ Ddraig theorized.

"It's alright, Riser…I'm just shocked that you two are able to get along after what happened." Rias said disbelievingly.

The delinquent shrugged, "Riser apologized to me and showed compassion for his family and his peerage. I can't fault anyone for that even if they did piss me off. We're cool now. So far, I can assure you guys that the Gremory, Sitri, and Phenex families are all on my good side. So don't stress it, alright?"

"That is excellent to know. Lord and Lady Phenex will be most pleased to know that their son is doing better now and is in no danger from you," Zeoticus nodded approvingly.

"Don't forget about my input! I vouched for Issei-chan too!" Serafall childishly added. Her warmness caused Zeoticus and Venelana to smile.

Issei scratched his head as he looked around, "So, I was wondering where is Sirzechs Lucifer right now? Did he leave already?"

"Our son had to leave early tonight…I understand your father also had a leave. A shame. I actually wanted to meet him," Zeoticus answered.

"Yeah…well maybe you'll get another chance one day," Issei shrugged.

"Issei!" Irina's voice caught his attention.

He looked over curiously until he spotted the exorcist. She and Xenovia were both standing next to Gabriel.

"I should probably go see what they want. It was nice meeting you guys," Issei waved before departing.

"Likewise," Venelana responded as the delinquent left.

Serafall and Riser's peerage were all quick to follow him as he left. This left Rias and several of her peerage members alone with her parents.

Once they were a comfortable distance away, Venelana glanced at her daughter, "He seems a lot nicer than I expected him to be. Your cousin Sairaorg is convinced that he's a threat to your safety. He might change his mind when he hears my opinion and Riser Phenex's account."

"Sairaorg is worried about me?" Rias asked confused.

Venelana nodded, "He wanted to come here tonight, but Zeoticus and I talked him out of it. I know how your cousin can get."

"What? You think he would try to fight Issei or something?" Rias wondered.

Her mother sighed, "Possibly… Sairaorg sees you as a little sister practically. You know how protective he gets about the family. Even Sirzechs doesn't get that way about you."

"Well, I know Issei isn't the type to back down from anyone…neither is Sairaorg. I guess it's good that he didn't show up tonight then," Rias exhaled in relief.

 **Kyoto**

"What can you tell us about the dragon that attacked you, Yasaka-dono?" a certain Shinto Storm God asked the Youkai leader.

Yasaka looked a bit intimidated by Susanoo but was politely seated on her knees in front of him. Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu were also present as they stood further back. Yasaka bowed her head respectfully to the gods, "Not much I'm afraid…I was caught off guard and ambushed by these strange humans with powerful sacred gears. When I tried to go into my beast form, the black dragon knocked me unconscious. Crom Cruach I think his name was. I believe I was put under a spell after that. My daughter Kunou enlisted the aid of a dragon named Issei Hyoudou to save me…and he did."

"A human group with powerful sacred gears? Doesn't Indra have a group like that?" Amaterasu asked Tsukuyomi.

"Why would Indra's followers align themselves with an evil dragon, though? That might explain why Ophis wasn't concerned about him." Tsukuyomi wondered aloud.

Susanoo cracked a fist as he stared at Yasaka, "What can you tell us about this Issei Hyoudou? I find it hard to believe a dragon rescued you..."

"Not much I'm afraid…but he does live in Kuoh I think," Yasaka answered.

"We should go investigate Issei Hyoudou…" Susanoo said seriously.

Amaterasu was quick to interject, "Wait…we should observe him first before you go charging in. It would be a good way to find out what kind of dragon he is."

"All dragons are the same, sister…" Susanoo scoffed as he kept walking.

"You two keep investigating the supernatural traffic around Japan. I'm going to contact Indra and see if he knows anything about this attack," Tsukuyomi stated before disappearing.

Amaterasu and Susanoo traded disapproving looks with one another. The latter shook his head, "We will go with your way for now…but I will intervene when and if I deem it necessary."

"Fine…" Amaterasu nodded in agreement.

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Alright, that's it for this chapter. I'm starting to make normal sized chapters again. So yeah, anyways…let's get onto my usual commentary.

To start, we get a cool little introduction to Ophis. Issei talks her into altering her form into a goth seductress lol. I love that loli dragon, but I wanted to upgrade her a bit for this story. I did this both for aesthetic/plot reasons and so I don't end up on that FBI watchlist.

So yeah, while they're talking, Ophis manages to locate Saji and drags him into the middle of this mess along with Issei. She teleports them all out to some remote location where they get to meet her dragon generals. Now I made their appearances as canon as I could, but some of them don't have human forms so I took a few artistic liberties. Issei notices Crom Cruach among the group as well as a host of others that Ddraig claims are all dragon king level and above.

While there, Ophis manages to bind the other four Vritra sacred gears into Saji with Vali's help and awakens Vritra within him. Now I know in canon that there's supposedly multiple different Vritra sacred gears of the same type, but for simplicity's sake, there's only 5 in this fic.

Before Issei's identity can be revealed or he can be forced into an ultimatum, three unlikely arrivals show up. The Shinto Gods have finally made their appearance in this story. This was both a temporary blessing for Issei and a major curse. Now that the gods are aware of the dragons being "up to something", they're bound to be snooping around. Could there possibly be a war between the dragons and the gods now too? Will other pantheons get involved?! What gods are you excited to see? On a side note, the reason Amaterasu showed up as a wolf is because I love the game Okami.

Ophis decides to give the gods a warning and simply teleports away. Once they're back at Kuoh, Issei and Ophis have a private conversation in where he tries to talk her out of fighting Red. Issei's words affect her quite a bit and Ophis decides to give him a few days while she thinks about his request. A major thing to notice here is Ophis could only detect Ddraig, and not Red's power. You'll be getting an explanation for that later. After Ophis leaves, Issei tells Saji the truth about who he is and convinces him to keep things a secret. With Saji now wielding Vritra and the latter in question eager about working with Ddraig, how will things progress?

The rest of the chapter is mostly just interactions, but there's important things to notice in the details here. At the very end scene, we revisit Yasaka who is describing her abduction to the Shinto Gods. Why are they asking her about this now…and what will they do when they learn that Issei Hyoudou was actually one of the dragons they saw with Ophis' posse? You'll just have to wait and see good people. If you think all of these events are spiraling towards one chaotic destination, then you'd be right! At any rate, thanks as always for reading and stay tuned. The epic reveal is coming SOON! Also, don't fret if I missed a few dialogue interactions with characters in this chapter. We'll be starting the next chapter with the end of parent teacher night.


End file.
